Endemic Birds

S E C T I O N S

Mauritius was once one of the richest oceanic islands in terms of its avian biodiversity. Most of the birds of Mauritius have become extinct. Among them are the Dodo (the symbol of extinction), the Blue Parrot and the Dutch Pigeon. 

Mauritius now has nine endemic bird species, i.e. they are found nowhere else in the world. The Black River Gorges National Park in the Southwest corner of the island is the primary habitat for these species, which are critically endangered.

Causes of population decline 

The major factors that have contributed and are still contributing to the decline in the population of some of the endemic birds are:

  • Clearing of forests (deforestation) for agriculture, industrial development and urbanisation.
  • Irrational use of pesticides e.g. DDT in the 1950’s.
  • Habitat degradation.
  • Natural calamities e.g. cyclones.
  • Predation by introduced species e.g. monkeys, rats, feral cats that destroy the eggs and young birds.
  • Competition for food and habitat by exotic species.

    • Conservation Management

    The National Park and Conservation Service, Ministry of Agriculture Food Technology and Natural Resources and the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation have taken the following measures in order to come to the rescue of the dwindling populations of birds:

    Captive breeding

    The Captive Breeding centre as established in Black River in 1973 and is now known as the Gerald Durrell Endemic Wildlife Sanctuary (GDEWS) after the late Gerald Durrell, who pioneered work on the conservation of fauna in Mauritius.

    It was set up to initiate captive breeding programmes to save the Mauritius Kestrel, Pink Pigeon and Mauritius Parakeet, which were at the brink of extinction. The captive breeding followed by the release of birds to the wild have proved to be highly successful; restoring the population of the Mauritius Kestrel from a critical level of only two pairs in 1974 to around 700 in the wild today. At the moment, emphasis is placed on captive breeding of the Mauritius Parakeet and research is being undertaken on the Passerines (song birds) e.g. the Mauritius Fody.

    Translocation of birds.

    Young captive bred birds are released to areas of suitable habitats, mainly in the Black River Gorges National Park, Bambous Mountain Range and iles aux Aigrettes, to establish viable breeding populations. The released birds are closely monitored and are provided with supplementary food as well as nest boxes to ensure future breeding success.

     Predator control.

    In order to protect the endemic birds, pests like rats and mongooses are being controlled.

    Habitat restoration.

    Nine Conservation Management Areas (CMA’s), senced plots within the Black River Gorges National Park, are intensively managed to restore the native vegetation. These are increasingly being used by endemic birds as sites for feeding and nesting.