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Sunday, January 30, 2011

Mauritius Kestrel (Falco punctatus)


The Mauritius Kestrel is a bird of prey endemic to the forests of Mauritius and was once regarded the rarest bird in the world. In the 1970's there were only 4 known individuals left with one breeding female found only in the Lower Black River Gorges. Now due to intensive conservation and management efforts the population has risen between 800-1000 birds and downgraded from Critically endangered to Endangered in 1994 and then to Vulnerable in 2000 by the IUCN.

They used to range from sea level to the highest upland forests but due to deforestation and degradation for lumber and agricultural purposes in 1900 they were restricted to 3 mountain ranges; Moka, Bambous and Lower Black River Gorges. Later on in the 1950-60's large amounts of DDT was used to control malaria and predation by invasive species (cats, rats, mongooses) reduced the kestrel population even further to only 20-25 and then only 4 in 1974.


Female watching us as we do a nest access

Male with recently caught gecko

Mauritius Kestrel Chick

Mauritius Kestrel Chick

Conservation biologists
(Saoirse Morgan and Paul Tinsley-Marshall) ringing a chick


Conservation biologist (Saoirse Morgan) ringing a chick

Conservation Biologist (Paul Tinsley-Marshall) taking a blood sample for genetic analysis

Conservation Biologist (Edward Winfield) performing morphometrics





Sunday, January 16, 2011

Mascarene Paradise Flycatcher

The Mascarene Paradise Flycatcher
(Terpsiphone bourbonnensis)

With their metallic coloured plumage and charasmatic, curious behaviour they are definitely one of my favourite avian species of Mauritius. Currently I am working at combo, one of the newest field stations occupied by Mauritian Wildlife Foundation Staff in the Black Gorges National Park. Here, there is a great chance to see a wide variety and abundance of species including; Pink Pigeons, Olive White-eyes, Mauritius Bulbuls and Paradise Flycatchers.
This species of Flycatcher is endemic to the islands of Mauritius and RĂ©union but less common in Mauritius. Their natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and as there name suggests is particularly partical to insects.