Mistle thrush International Union for Conservation of Nature as being of least concern. The mistle thrush was first described by Linnaeus in his "Systema naturae" in 1758 under its current scientific names. "Turdus" is the Latin for "thrush", and "viscivorus", "mistletoe eater", comes from "viscum" "mistletoe" and "vorare", "to devour". The bird's liking for mistletoe berries is also indicated by its English name, "mistle" being an old name for the plant. There are more than 60 species of medium to large thrushes in the genus "Turdus", characterised by rounded heads, longish pointed wings, and usually melodious songs. A mitochondrial DNA study identified
Mistletoe a mistletoe festival and crowns a 'Mistletoe Queen'. One of the earliest references to mistletoe traditions in popular music is the 1952 hit 'I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus', which was originally sung by Jimmy Boyd and has been covered by many singers. The song was written by British songwriter Tommie Connor and recorded in the US. The 1958 US hit 'Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree' refers to couples wanting to stop beneath the mistletoe. In 1988, the British singer Cliff Richard released a popular Christmas song called 'Mistletoe and Wine'. More recent Christmas songs referring to mistletoe traditions include