Mauritius Fody
Encyclopedia
The Mauritius Fody is a rare species of bird in the weaver family. It is endemic to the island of Mauritius
. It is classified by BirdLife International
as being endangered
. It is also on the United States' Endangered Species List with an endangered status.
This bird is 14 centimeters long. It is brown with a red head and breast and black lores
.
The bird lives in several types of forest, including degraded areas, as well as plantation
s. Stands of Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) have replaced native vegetation and now provide shelter.It eats insects, fruit, and nectar.
The bird is a weaver, the male and female cooperating to weave each nest.
The Mauritius Fody is threatened by the loss of its habitat. Beginning in the 1970s much of its habitat was lost when the land was cleared for plantations. By 2001 there were perhaps no more than about 100 breeding pairs. The bird rarely breeds successfully because its nests are raided by predators, especially the black rat (Rattus rattus) and the crab-eating macaque
(Macaca fascicularis). This is currently the main cause of the bird's decline. Some areas of intact habitat have high nest predation, but areas of low nest predation may be poor habitat. The Common Mynah has also been observed predating nests. Nest failure may occur when it is infested with tropical nest fly. The larvae of the fly attack the chicks, latching on and feeding on their blood, causing dehydration and anemia
in the chicks.
Conservation efforts include the control of rats and macaques. A captive breeding
program has produced many chicks. Eggs are removed from nests in the wild and hatched in captivity as the wild pairs produce and rear another clutch simultaneously. Nests are treated for tropical nest fly. Supplemental food and water are given. The population has increased recently due to conservation programs.
Île aux Aigrettes, an islet off the main island of Mauritius, is now home to a number of Mauritius Fodies and other threatened species that have been translocated there.
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
. It is classified by BirdLife International
BirdLife International
BirdLife International is a global Partnership of conservation organisations that strives to conserve birds, their habitats and global biodiversity, working with people towards sustainability in the use of natural resources...
as being endangered
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
. It is also on the United States' Endangered Species List with an endangered status.
This bird is 14 centimeters long. It is brown with a red head and breast and black lores
Lore (anatomy)
The Lore is the region between the eye and bill on the side of a bird's head. This region is sometimes featherless, and the skin may be tinted, as in many species of the cormorant family. This area, which is directly in front of the eye, features a "loral stripe" in many bird species including the...
.
The bird lives in several types of forest, including degraded areas, as well as plantation
Plantation
A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...
s. Stands of Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) have replaced native vegetation and now provide shelter.It eats insects, fruit, and nectar.
The bird is a weaver, the male and female cooperating to weave each nest.
The Mauritius Fody is threatened by the loss of its habitat. Beginning in the 1970s much of its habitat was lost when the land was cleared for plantations. By 2001 there were perhaps no more than about 100 breeding pairs. The bird rarely breeds successfully because its nests are raided by predators, especially the black rat (Rattus rattus) and the crab-eating macaque
Crab-eating Macaque
The Crab-eating macaque is a cercopithecine primate native to Southeast Asia. It is also called the "long-tailed macaque", and is referred to as the "cynomolgus monkey" in laboratories.-Etymology:...
(Macaca fascicularis). This is currently the main cause of the bird's decline. Some areas of intact habitat have high nest predation, but areas of low nest predation may be poor habitat. The Common Mynah has also been observed predating nests. Nest failure may occur when it is infested with tropical nest fly. The larvae of the fly attack the chicks, latching on and feeding on their blood, causing dehydration and anemia
Anemia
Anemia is a decrease in number of red blood cells or less than the normal quantity of hemoglobin in the blood. However, it can include decreased oxygen-binding ability of each hemoglobin molecule due to deformity or lack in numerical development as in some other types of hemoglobin...
in the chicks.
Conservation efforts include the control of rats and macaques. A captive breeding
Captive breeding
Captive breedingis the process of breeding animals in human controlled environments with restricted settings, such as wildlife reserves, zoos and other conservation facilities; sometimes the process is construed to include release of individual organisms to the wild, when there is sufficient...
program has produced many chicks. Eggs are removed from nests in the wild and hatched in captivity as the wild pairs produce and rear another clutch simultaneously. Nests are treated for tropical nest fly. Supplemental food and water are given. The population has increased recently due to conservation programs.
Île aux Aigrettes, an islet off the main island of Mauritius, is now home to a number of Mauritius Fodies and other threatened species that have been translocated there.
External links
- images and movies of the Mauritius fody (Foudia rubra). ARKive.
- Mauritius Fody Breeding Photos. Wildlife Preservation Canada.