|
Mouth Of The Cirque De Salazie Important Bird Area
Mouth of the Cirque de Salazie Important Bird Area is a 1780 ha tract of land on the island of Réunion, a French territory in the western Indian Ocean. Description It lies north-east of the Piton des Neiges volcanic massif, consisting of the river gorges of the Bras de Caverne and Rivière du Mât that drain the forested Bélouve plateau and adjacent Salazie caldera respectively. The site contains stands of native forest in very rugged terrain at elevations ranging from 160 m up to 1430 m above sea level. Birds The site has been identified by BirdLife International as an Important Bird Area (IBA) because it supports a breeding colony of Audubon's shearwaters (300 breeding pairs) as well as populations of Réunion harriers, Mascarene swiftlets, Mascarene paradise flycatchers, Réunion bulbuls, Mascarene white-eyes, Réunion olive white-eye The Réunion olive white-eye (''Zosterops olivaceus'') is a species of bird in the family Zosteropidae. It is foun ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bird Colony
A bird colony is a large congregation of individuals of one or more species of bird that nest or roost in proximity at a particular location. Many kinds of birds are known to congregate in groups of varying size; a congregation of nesting birds is called a breeding colony. Colonial nesting birds include seabirds such as auks and albatrosses; wetland species such as herons; and a few passerines such as weaverbirds, certain blackbirds, and some swallows. A group of birds congregating for rest is called a communal roost. Evidence of colonial nesting has been found in non- neornithine birds ( Enantiornithes), in sediments from the Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) of Romania. Variations on colonial nesting in birds Approximately 13% of all bird species nest colonially. Nesting colonies are very common among seabirds on cliffs and islands. Nearly 95% of seabirds are colonial, leading to the usage, seabird colony, sometimes called a rookery. Many species of terns nest in colonie ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Réunion Stonechat
The Réunion stonechat (''Saxicola tectes'') is a species of stonechat, endemic to the island of Réunion. This small passerine bird is common in clearings and open mountain bushlands there up to 2600 metres above the sea level, including in the plains around Piton de la Fournaise. Description Overall, the male is black above and white below, but also with a white supercilium (sometimes absent), half-collar, and greater covert patch, and a variable-sized orange patch on the breast. Females differ from males in being browner above, more buff-toned below, and often lacking the white greater covert patch. The white throat and (usually white) supercilium are the most prominent external differences from the African stonechat ''S. torquatus'', which has a wholly black head including the throat and supercilium.Urquhart, E., & Bowley, A. (2002): ''Stonechats. A Guide to the Genus Saxicola''. Christopher Helm, London. Taxonomy and etymology It is a member of the common stonechat s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Réunion Olive White-eye
The Réunion olive white-eye (''Zosterops olivaceus'') is a species of bird in the family Zosteropidae. It is found on Réunion. Its natural habitats are boreal forests and subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland. In 1760 the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson included a description of the Reunion olive white-eye in his ''Ornithologie'' based on a specimen that had been brought to Paris from Île Bourbon (now Réunion), but which Brisson mistakenly believed had been collected in Madagascar. He used the French name ''Le grimpereau olive de Madagascar'' and the Latin ''Certhia Madagascariensis Olivaceus''. The two stars (**) at the start of the section indicates that Brisson based his description on the examination of a specimen. Although Brisson coined Latin names, these do not conform to the binomial system and are not recognised by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature. When in 1766 the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus updated his ''Systema Natu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Réunion Grey White-eye
The Réunion grey white-eye (''Zosterops borbonicus'') is a small passerine from the family Zosteropidae, which is native to the islands of Réunion.Gill F. and Donsker D. (eds), Family Zosteropidae, in IOC World Bird Names (ver 6.2), International Ornithologists’ Union, 2016. UR/ref> Taxonomy The taxon ''mauritianus'', by most authorities previously considered a subspecies, is now usually considered a separate monotypic species, the Mauritius grey white-eye, (''Zosterops mauritianus''). Together, both species were called Mascarene white-eye.Otto Finsch: ''Zosteropidae (Volume 15)'', 1901. There is some uncertainty about the number of subspecies on Réunion, with most authorities only accepting a single, the nominate (''Z. b. borbonicus''), while some also accept ''Z. b. alopekion'', and ''Z. b. xerophilus''. When only a single Réunion subspecies is accepted, ''alopekion'' and ''xerophilus'' are considered to represent morphs of the nominate. Description It has a length ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Réunion Bulbul
The Réunion bulbul (''Hypsipetes borbonicus'') is a species of the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is endemic to Réunion. Taxonomy and systematics The Réunion bulbul was originally described in the genus ''Turdus''. Formerly, some authorities also considered the Mauritius bulbul to be a subspecies of the Réunion bulbul.Staub (1976), Gregory (2000), BLI (2008) Alternate names for the Réunion bulbul include the Bourbon thrush, olivaceous bulbul, Réunion black bulbul and Réunion merle. Description The appearance of the Réunion bulbul is similar to that of the Mauritius bulbul but is slightly smaller with a length of 22 cm. It is ashy gray with a blackish crest and the iris is conspicuously white. The bill and feet have an orange hue.Staub (1976) Behaviour and ecology Breeding The female lays two eggs in a cup-shaped nest during the southern summer. Food and feeding The Réunion bulbul is primarily . In February and March, it moves from areas of higher elevation, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mascarene Paradise Flycatcher
The Mascarene paradise flycatcher (''Terpsiphone bourbonnensis'') is a species of bird in the monarch-flycatcher family Monarchidae. It is endemic to the Mascarene islands of Mauritius and Réunion. There are two subspecies recognized: the nominate subspecies from Réunion, also known as the Réunion paradise flycatcher; and ''T. b. desolata'' ( Salomonsen, 1933) from Mauritius. The Mascarene paradise flycatcher was originally described in the genus '' Muscicapa'' and the subspecies ''T. b. desolata'' was originally described as a separate species. Description The Mascarene paradise flycatcher lacks the long tail shared by many members of the paradise flycatcher The paradise flycatchers (''Terpsiphone'') are a genus of birds in the family Monarchidae. The genus ranges across Africa and Asia, as well as a number of islands. A few species are migratory, but the majority are resident. The most telling char ... genus ''Terpsiphone'', and measures in length. The male has a blac ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mascarene Swiftlet
The Mascarene swiftlet or Mauritius swiftlet (''Aerodramus francicus'') is a species of swift in the family Apodidae. It is found in Mauritius and Réunion, and the populations on the two islands have recently been confirmed to differ subspecifically. The nominate race ''francicus'' is found on Mauritius and the recently described race ''saffordi'' occurs on Réunion. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, subtropical or tropical high-altitude shrubland, subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland, caves, arable land, and heavily degraded former forest. It is threatened by habitat loss. Taxonomy The Mascarene swiftlet was formally described in 1789 by the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in his revised and expanded edition of Carl Linnaeus's ''Systema Naturae''. He placed it with the swifts and swallows in the genus ''Hirundo'' and coined the binomial name ''Hirundo francica''. Gmelin based his description on "La petite hirondelle noire ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Réunion Harrier
The Réunion harrier or Réunion marsh harrier (''Circus maillardi'') is a bird of prey belonging to the marsh harrier group of harriers. It is now found only on the Indian Ocean island of Réunion, although fossil material from Mauritius has been referred to this species. It is known locally as the ''papangue'' or ''pied jaune''. The Malagasy harrier (''C. macrosceles'') of Madagascar and the Comoro Islands was previously treated as a subspecies of this bird but is increasingly regarded as a separate species. The Réunion harrier appears to be declining in numbers and it is classed as an endangered species. Description It is about 42–55 cm long; the female is around 3–15% larger than the male.Ferguson-Lees, James & David A. Christie (2001) ''Raptors of the World'', Christopher Helm, London. The male has a blackish head and back with white streaks. The underparts, underwings and rump are white and the tail is grey. The wings are grey and black with a white leading e ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Audubon's Shearwater
Audubon's shearwater (''Puffinus lherminieri'') is a common tropical seabird in the petrel family. Sometimes known as the dusky-backed shearwater,Carboneras (1992) the specific epithet honours the French naturalist Félix Louis L'Herminier. Certain populations are known variously as Baillon's shearwater, tropical shearwater, Bannerman's shearwater, Mascarene shearwater and Persian shearwater; some of these are considered distinct species by various authors. If they are all placed in ''P. lherminieri'', the North Atlantic little shearwater (otherwise often separated as ''P. baroli'') is generally included here too. Thus, these small shearwaters form a cryptic species complex. Description Audubon's shearwaters are on average in length—about half the size of the greater shearwater (''Puffinus gravis'')—and weigh 170 g. There is some variation between populations, and the normal size and weight range is and . The wingspan is , the tail is around long, the exposed cul ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Important Bird Area
An Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) is an area identified using an internationally agreed set of criteria as being globally important for the conservation of bird populations. IBA was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife International. There are over 13,000 IBAs worldwide. These sites are small enough to be entirely conserved and differ in their character, habitat or ornithological importance from the surrounding habitat. In the United States the Program is administered by the National Audubon Society. Often IBAs form part of a country's existing protected area network, and so are protected under national legislation. Legal recognition and protection of IBAs that are not within existing protected areas varies within different countries. Some countries have a National IBA Conservation Strategy, whereas in others protection is completely lacking. History In 1985, following a specific request from the European Economic Community, Birdlife International ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Réunion
Réunion (; french: La Réunion, ; previously ''Île Bourbon''; rcf, label= Reunionese Creole, La Rényon) is an island in the Indian Ocean that is an overseas department and region of France. It is located approximately east of the island of Madagascar and southwest of the island of Mauritius. , it had a population of 868,846. Like the other four overseas departments, Réunion also holds the status of a region of France, and is an integral part of the French Republic. Réunion is an outermost region of the European Union and is part of the eurozone. Réunion and the fellow French overseas department of Mayotte are the only eurozone regions located in the Southern Hemisphere. As in the rest of France, the official language of Réunion is French. In addition, a majority of the region's population speaks Réunion Creole. Toponymy When France took possession of the island in the seventeenth century, it was named Bourbon, after the dynasty that then ruled France. To break ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
.svg "Click for more on -> Réunion")