This article is one of a series providing information about

endemism Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

among birds in the world's various zoogeographic zones. For an overview of this subject see

Endemism in birds Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

Patterns of endemism

This region is notable not just for the high number of endemic species, but for endemism in higher-level taxonomic groupings too.

Order-level endemism

Two

orders Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of d ...

are endemic to Madagascar or the wider region: * Mesites are placed within the Mesitornithiformes, an order containing three

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

in two

genera Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nomenclat ...

. * The

cuckoo-roller The cuckoo-roller or courol (''Leptosomus discolor'')del Hoyo, J. Elliott, A. & Sargatal, J. (2001) is the only bird in the family Leptosomidae , which was previously often placed in the order Coraciiformes but is now placed in its own order Lept ...

is placed in the

monotypic In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispec ...

order Leptosomiformes. It is endemic to the wider region, as its single species is present on both Madagascar and

Comores The Comoros,, ' officially the Union of the Comoros,; ar, الاتحاد القمري ' is an independent country made up of three islands in southeastern Africa, located at the northern end of the Mozambique Channel in the Indian Ocean. I ...

Family-level endemism

The following three

families Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Ideall ...

are endemic to Madagascar: * Ground-rollers, a family within the

Coraciiformes The Coraciiformes are a group of usually colourful birds including the kingfishers, the bee-eaters, the rollers, the motmots, and the todies. They generally have syndactyly, with three forward-pointing toes (and toes 3 & 4 fused at their base) ...

, containing five species in three genera. * Asities, a

passerine A passerine () is any bird of the order Passeriformes (; from Latin 'sparrow' and '-shaped'), which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds, passerines are distinguished from other orders of birds by t ...

family within the Old World

suboscines The Tyranni (suboscines) are a suborder of passerine birds that includes more than 1,000 species, the large majority of which are South American. It is named after the type genus ''Tyrannus''. These have a different anatomy of the syrinx muscul ...

, containing four species in two genera *

Malagasy Warblers The Tetrakas and allies are a newly validated family of songbirds. They were formally named Bernieridae in 2010. The family currently consists of eleven species (in eight genera) of small forest birds. These birds are all endemic to Madagascar ...

, a passerine family within the Old World

oscines A songbird is a bird belonging to the suborder Passeri of the perching birds (Passeriformes). Another name that is sometimes seen as the scientific or vernacular name is Oscines, from Latin ''oscen'', "songbird". The Passeriformes contains 500 ...

, containing eleven species in eight genera. One other family is endemic to the wider region: * The

vanga The family Vangidae (from ''vanga'', Malagasy for the hook-billed vanga, ''Vanga curvirostris'') comprises a group of often shrike-like medium-sized birds distributed from Asia to Africa, including the vangas of Madagascar to which the family o ...

s, an oscine passerine family, containing sixteen species in eleven genera are endemic to the region. All but one species are confined to Madagascar, the sole exception being the Comoro blue vanga, restricted to Comores.

Subfamily-level endemism

* The nine species of

coua Couas are large, mostly terrestrial birds of the cuckoo family, endemic to the island of Madagascar. Couas are reminiscent of African turacos when walking along tree branches, and they likewise feature brightly coloured bare skin around the eyes ...

(genus ''Coua'', a

subfamily In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus. Standard nomenclature rules end subfamily botanical names with "-oideae", and zoologi ...

of the

cuckoo Cuckoos are birds in the Cuculidae family, the sole taxon in the order Cuculiformes . The cuckoo family includes the common or European cuckoo, roadrunners, koels, malkohas, couas, coucals and anis. The coucals and anis are sometimes separ ...

s) are all Madagascan endemics. * Two extinct species, the

dodo The dodo (''Raphus cucullatus'') is an extinct flightless bird that was endemic to the island of Mauritius, which is east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. The dodo's closest genetic relative was the also-extinct Rodrigues solitaire. The ...

Mauritius Mauritius ( ; french: Maurice, link=no ; mfe, label=Mauritian Creole, Moris ), officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean about off the southeast coast of the African continent, east of Madagascar. It incl ...

and

Rodrigues solitaire The Rodrigues solitaire (''Pezophaps solitaria'') is an extinct flightless bird that was endemic to the island of Rodrigues, east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. Genetically within the family of pigeons and doves, it was most closely relate ...

Rodrigues Rodrigues (french: Île Rodrigues, link=yes ; Creole: ) is a autonomous outer island of the Republic of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean, about east of Mauritius. It is part of the Mascarene Islands, which include Mauritius and Réunion. Rodr ...

are placed in the

Raphinae The Raphinae are a clade of extinct flightless birds formerly called didines or didine birds. They inhabited the Mascarene Islands of Mauritius and Rodrigues, but became extinct through hunting by humans and predation by introduced non-native ...

(a subfamily of the

doves and pigeons Columbidae () is a bird family consisting of doves and pigeons. It is the only family in the order Columbiformes. These are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills that in some species feature fleshy ceres. They primarily ...

). * the rock-thrushes, '' Monticola'', in which three of the 13 species are endemic to Madagascar (these three are sometimes separated into their own genus, ''Pseudocossyphus'').

Endemic Bird Areas

Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...

, the total wealth of known terrestrial is about 5,800

(and 2,500 pending description), and 86 percent are

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

to the island.

List of species

Species endemic to Madagascar

The following is a list of species endemic to Madagascar. Note that: * Madagascar partridge is endemic as a native species to Madagascar, but has been introduced on the Mascarenes * Madagascar buttonquail is endemic as a native species to Madagascar, but has been introduced on the Mascarenes * Madagascar turtle dove is endemic as a native species to Madagascar, but is thought to be an

introduced species An introduced species, alien species, exotic species, adventive species, immigrant species, foreign species, non-indigenous species, or non-native species is a species living outside its native distributional range, but which has arrived there ...

on the other islands in the region * Grey-headed lovebird is endemic as a native species to Madagascar, but has been introduced to the Comoro Islands * Madagascar fody is endemic as a native species to Madagascar, but has been introduced to many of the other islands in the region * The Elephant bird is now extinct.

Species endemic to other islands or island groups in the region

The following is a list of species endemic to other islands.

Species endemic to the Mascarene group

Mauritius kestrel The Mauritius kestrel (''Falco punctatus'') is a bird of prey from the family Falconidae endemic to the forests of Mauritius, where it is restricted to the southwestern plateau's forests, cliffs, and ravines. It is the most distinct of the Indi ...

Pink pigeon The pink pigeon (''Nesoenas mayeri'') is a species of pigeon in the family Columbidae endemic to Mauritius. The pink pigeon nearly became extinct in the 1970s and the 1990s and is still very rare. It is the only Mascarene pigeon that has not beco ...

Mauritius parakeet The echo parakeet (''Psittacula eques'') is a species of parrot endemic to the Mascarene Islands of Mauritius and formerly Réunion. It is the only living native parrot of the Mascarene Islands; all others have become extinct due to human activ ...

* Mascarene swiftlet * Réunion bulbul * Mauritius bulbul *

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 th ...

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 nom ...

Rodrigues warbler The Rodrigues warbler (''Acrocephalus rodericanus'') is a species of Old World warbler in the family Acrocephalidae. It is found only on the island of Rodrigues (which belongs to Mauritius) and used to be plentiful there. Their population soon g ...

Mauritius olive white-eye The Mauritius olive white-eye (''Zosterops chloronothos'', often mistakenly spelled ''Zosterops chloronothus''(2007) Rare Birds Yearbook 2008. England: MagDig Media Lmtd, 208. .) is a very rare and localized passerine from the family of white-ey ...

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 zool ...

Mauritius grey white-eye The Mauritius grey white-eye (''Zosterops mauritianus'') is a species of bird in the family Zosteropidae. It is one of two white-eye species endemic to the island of Mauritius Mauritius ( ; french: Maurice, link=no ; mfe, label= Mauritian ...

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), Internatio ...

* Mauritius cuckoo-shrike * Réunion cuckoo-shrike *

Mauritius fody The Mauritius fody (''Foudia rubra'') 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 Li ...

* Rodrigues fody

Species endemic to the Comoros

Comoro olive pigeon The Comoros olive pigeon (''Columba pollenii''), also known as the Comoro olive pigeon, is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is found in Comoros and Mayotte. It is becoming rare due to habitat loss. Description Easily distinguisha ...

* Comoro green pigeon * Karthala scops-owl * Anjouan scops-owl * Anjouan cuckoo-roller *

Comoro bulbul The Grande Comore bulbul (''Hypsipetes parvirostris'') is a species of songbird in the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. It is found on the Comoro Islands. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. Until 2011, the Moheli b ...

* Comoro thrush *

Humblot's flycatcher Humblot's flycatcher (''Humblotia flavirostris'') or the Grand Comoro flycatcher, is a small passerine bird belonging to the Old World flycatcher family. It is the only member of its genus. Humblot's flycatcher is endemic to the island of Grand ...

* Comoro brush-warbler * Benson's brush-warbler *

Kirk's white-eye Kirk's white-eye (''Zosterops kirki'') is a species of bird in the family Zosteropidae. It is endemic to the Comoros Islands. It was previously considered a subspecies of the Malagasy white-eye. Its common and binomial name are in honour of expl ...

* Karthala white-eye *

Mayotte white-eye The Mayotte white-eye or chestnut-sided white-eye (''Zosterops mayottensis'') is a species of bird in the family Zosteropidae. It is now found only on Mayotte in the Comoro Islands. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, su ...

* Comoro green sunbird * Humblot's sunbird * Anjouan sunbird *

Mayotte sunbird The Mayotte sunbird (''Cinnyris coquerellii'') is a species of bird in the family Nectariniidae. It is endemic to Mayotte and surrounding islets in the southeastern Comoros. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest ...

* Comoro blue vanga * Comoro cuckoo-shrike *

Mayotte drongo The Mayotte drongo (''Dicrurus waldenii'') is a species of bird in the family Dicruridae. It is endemic to Mayotte. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, subtropical or tropical mangrove forest, subtropical or ...

* Grande Comore drongo *

Comoro fody The Comoros fody (''Foudia eminentissima''), also known as the red-headed fody, is a species of passerine bird in the family Ploceidae. It is found in the Comoros. The taxon ''aldabrana'', was previously often considered a subspecies of the Comoro ...

Species endemic to central Seychelles

Seychelles kestrel The Seychelles kestrel (''Falco araeus'') is a small bird of prey belonging to the genus '' Falco'' in the falcon family, Falconidae. It is endemic to the Seychelles Islands where it is the only breeding bird of prey. It is known in Seychellois Cr ...

* Seychelles blue pigeon *

Seychelles black parrot The Seychelles black parrot, Praslin parrot or kato nwar (''Coracopsis barklyi'') is a sombre-coloured, medium-sized parrot endemic to the Seychelles. Historically, it has been treated as a subspecies of the lesser vasa parrot, although it shows ...

Seychelles scops-owl The Seychelles scops owl (''Otus insularis''), also known as bare-legged scops owl or syer (in Creole) is a rare scops owl species, which only occurs in the Morne Seychellois National Park on the Seychelles island of Mahé. Description It reache ...

Seychelles swiftlet The Seychelles swiftlet (''Aerodramus elaphrus'') is a small bird of the swift family. It is found only in the Seychelles Islands in the Indian Ocean. It is 10–12 cm long with a wingspan of 28 cm and a weight of about 10 g. The upperp ...

Seychelles magpie-robin The Seychelles magpie-robin (''Copsychus sechellarum'') is a medium-sized endangered bird from the granitic Seychelles in the Indian Ocean. This species of magpie-robin is approximately in length. With a body mass of in females and in males, t ...

Seychelles black paradise flycatcher The Seychelles paradise flycatcher (''Terpsiphone corvina'') is a rare bird from the genus of paradise flycatchers (''Terpsiphone'') within the family Monarchidae. It is a forest-dwelling bird Endemism, endemic to the Seychelles where it is nati ...

Seychelles warbler The Seychelles warbler (''Acrocephalus sechellensis''), also known as Seychelles brush warbler, is a small songbird found on five granitic and corraline islands in the Seychelles. It is a greenish-brown bird with long legs and a long slender bill ...

* Seychelles white-eye *

Seychelles sunbird The Seychelles sunbird (''Cinnyris dussumieri'') is a small passerine from the sunbird family. It is named after the French explorer Jean-Jacques Dussumier. It is native to the Seychelles, where it is known as ''kolibri'' in Seychellois Creole. ...

Seychelles fody The Seychelles fody (''Foudia sechellarum'') is a small yellowish songbird that are native to the Seychelles islands of Cousin Island, Cousine Island, Frégate Island, and have been introduced to Aride Island, D'Arros Island and as of 2004 Denis ...

Species endemic to the Aldabra islands

* Aldabra rail * Aldabra brush-warbler * Abbott's sunbird *

Aldabra drongo The Aldabra drongo (''Dicrurus aldabranus'') is a species of bird in the drongo family Dicruridae. It is endemic to Seychelles, where it occurs only on the island of Aldabra. It has a small population of only around 1000 birds.Skerrett A, Bullo ...

* Aldabra fody There are native Madagascar turtle doves in the Aldabra group (separate races from those found on Madagascar); they may represent a separate species.

Other species endemic to the region

The following is a list of species which are not endemic to a specific island (or island group) but are endemic to the region as a whole. *

Malagasy sacred ibis The Malagasy sacred ibis (''Threskiornis bernieri'') is a relatively large, heavily built ibis endemic to the west coast of Madagascar, and Aldabra on the Seychelles. Taxonomy and systematics The Malagasy sacred ibis was formerly considered a su ...

(Aldabra, western coast of Madagascar) *

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 be ...

(Madagascar, Comoros, Mascarenes) *

Frances's sparrowhawk Frances's sparrowhawk (''Accipiter francesiae'') is a small bird of prey. The nominate subspecies, ''A. f. francesiae'', is endemic to Madagascar, the other subspecies are found in the Comoro Islands. The name commemorates Lady Frances Cole (die ...

(Madagascar, Comoros) * Malagasy kestrel (Madagascar, Aldabra) *

Comoro blue pigeon The Comoros blue pigeon (''Alectroenas sganzini'') is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is endemic to the Comoros and the coralline Seychelles. It is rated as a species of near threatened on the International Union fo ...

(Comoros, Aldabra) *

Greater vasa parrot The greater vasa parrot (''Coracopsis vasa'') is one of two species of vasa parrot, the other being the lesser vasa parrot ''C. nigra''. The greater vasa parrot can be found throughout Madagascar and the Comoros. Taxonomy The bird was describ ...

(Madagascar, Comoros) *

Lesser vasa parrot The lesser vasa parrot or black parrot (''Coracopsis nigra'') is a black coloured parrot Endemism, endemic to most of Madagascar. It is one of four species of vasa parrots, the others being the greater vasa parrot ''C. vasa'', the Seychelles blac ...

(Madagascar, Comoros) *

Malagasy coucal The Malagasy coucal or Madagascar coucal (''Centropus toulou'') is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. It is found in Madagascar and in the Seychelles, where it occurs on Aldabra and was formerly present on Assumption Island and Cosmol ...

(Madagascar, Aldabra) * Madagascar scops owl (Madagascar, Comoros) * Madagascar nightjar (Madagascar, Aldabra) * Madagascar black swift (Madagascar, Comoros) * Madagascar spine-tailed swift (Madagascar, Comoros) * Madagascar kingfisher (Madagascar, Comoros) *

Madagascar bee-eater The olive bee-eater or Madagascar bee-eater (''Merops superciliosus'') is a near passerine bee-eater species in the genus ''Merops''. It is native to the southern half of Africa where it is present in Angola; Botswana; Burundi; Comoros; Democrat ...

(Madagascar, Comoros) * Madagascar cuckoo-roller (Madagascar, Comoros) *

Mascarene martin The Mascarene martin or Mascarene swallow (''Phedina borbonica'') is a passerine bird in the swallow family that breeds in Madagascar and in the Mascarene Islands. The nominate subspecies occurs on Mauritius and Réunion and has never been found ...

(Madagascar, Mascarenes) *

Malagasy bulbul The Malagasy bulbul (''Hypsipetes madagascariensis'') is a species of songbird in the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. It is found on Madagascar and other regional islands in the south-western Indian Ocean. Taxonomy and systematics The Malagasy b ...

(Madagascar, Comoros, Aldabra) *

Malagasy paradise flycatcher The Malagasy paradise flycatcher (''Terpsiphone mutata'') is a species of bird in the family Monarchidae. It is found in Comoros, Madagascar, and Mayotte. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forest and subtropical or tropical ...

(Madagascar, Comoros) * Madagascar cisticola (Madagascar, Aldabra group) * Malagasy brush-warbler (Madagascar, Mohéli, Anjouan) *

Malagasy white-eye The Malagasy white-eye (''Zosterops maderaspatanus'') is a species of bird in the white-eye family, Zosteropidae. Found in Madagascar and Seychelles, its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical moist low ...

(Madagascar, various other islands) * Madagascar green sunbird (Madagascar, Mohéli) * Souimanga sunbird (Aldabra, Madagascar) *

Crested drongo The crested drongo (''Dicrurus forficatus'') is a passerine bird in the family Dicruridae. It is black with a bluish-green sheen, a distinctive crest on the forehead and a forked tail. There are two subspecies; ''D. f. forficatus'' is endemic t ...

(Madagascar, Anjouan)

Near-endemics

The following is a list of species endemic to the region as breeding species: * Madagascar squacco heron (breeding endemic on Madagascar & Aldabra, migrates to

East Africa East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territories make up Eastern Africa: Due to the historical ...

) * Madagascar lesser cuckoo (endemic to Madagascar in the breeding season, winters in East Africa). Two

Western Palearctic The Western Palaearctic or Western Palearctic is part of the Palaearctic realm, one of the eight biogeographic realms dividing the Earth's surface. Because of its size, the Palaearctic is often divided for convenience into two, with Europe, North ...

falcons winter entirely (

Eleonora's falcon Eleonora's falcon (''Falco eleonorae'') is a medium-sized falcon. It belongs to the hobby group, a rather close-knit number of similar falcons often considered a subgenus ''Hypotriorchis''. The sooty falcon is sometimes considered its closest re ...

) or mainly (

sooty falcon The sooty falcon (''Falco concolor'') is a medium-sized falcon breeding from northeastern Africa to the southern Persian Gulf region. The word sooty means to be covered in soot (ash), and is used to describe the color of the Sooty Falcon. Hence, ...

) on Madagascar.

References

* Sinclair, Ian and Olivier Langrand (2003) ''Birds of the Indian Ocean Islands'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Endemic Birds Of Madagascar And Western Indian Ocean Islands

Madagascar and western Indian Ocean islands *