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
Phoradendron pauciflorum Phoradendron pauciflorum Phoradendron pauciflorum is a species of flowering plant in the sandalwood family known by the common name fir mistletoe. It is native to coniferous forests in California, Arizona, and Baja California. This mistletoe is a parasitic plant on its single known host tree, the white fir ("Abies concolor"). It is a shrub producing many erect green branches which can exceed half a meter long. Its stems are lined with pairs of small, oppositely arranged leaves with widely lance-shaped blades up to 2.5 centimeters long. As a hemiparasite, the mistletoe taps its host tree for water and nutrients but