The Mascarene paradise flycatcher (''Terpsiphone bourbonnensis'') is a species of

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweig ...

in the monarch-flycatcher family Monarchidae. It is endemic to the Mascarene islands of

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 ...

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 ''Muscicapa'' is a genus of passerine birds belonging to the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae, and therein to the typical flycatchers of subfamily Muscicapinae. They are widespread across Europe, Africa and Asia with most species occur ...

'' 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 genus ''Terpsiphone'', and measures in length. The male has a black head with a grey neck-band, throat, breast and belly. The upperparts and tail are chestnut, and the wings are tipped black. The bill is bright blue, and the legs greyish. The female is smaller than the male, with a paler bill and a dark-grey head. The subspecies ''T. b. desolata'' is larger than the nominate and has brighter plumage.Moeliker, K. (2017). Mascarene Paradise-flycatcher (''Terpsiphone bourbonnensis''). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from http://www.hbw.com/node/59202 on 3 March 2017). Réunion paradise flycatcher (Terpsiphone bourbonnensis bourbonnensis) juvenile.jpg, juvenile ''T. b. bourbonnensis'', La Réunion Mascarene paradise flycatcher (Terpsiphone bourbonnensis desolata) juvenile.jpg, juvenile ''T. b. desolata'', Mauritius Mascarene paradise flycatcher (Terpsiphone bourbonnensis desolata) juvenile 2.jpg, juvenile ''T. b. desolata'', Mauritius

Habitat

The habitat requirements of this species vary by subspecies. ''T. b. desolata'' is mostly restricted to native evergreen and some plantations of ''Araucaria cunninghamii'' and ''A. columnaris''. Its preferred habitat seems to be a closed canopy with still air but not too much undergrowth. The nominate subspecies on Réunion is more varied in its habitat, occupying a range of forested habitats from sea level to .

Behaviour

Diet and feeding

The Mascarene paradise flycatcher feeds on a range of insects, including beetles, flies, dragonflies, moths, grasshoppers, and mayflies. Prey is obtained by watching from a perch and then hawking from the air or sally-gleaning off vegetation. It may also glean insects off vegetation while perched. They usually feed alone, but may join flocks of

white-eye The white-eyes are a family, Zosteropidae, of small passerine birds native to tropical, subtropical and temperate Sub-Saharan Africa, southern and eastern Asia, and Australasia. White-eyes inhabit most tropical islands in the Indian Ocean, the ...

s; this behaviour is more common on Réunion than Mauritius.

Breeding

Breeding is seasonal, from August to February on Mauritius and September to December on Réunion. The nest is a cone-shaped cup of moss, lichen and spiderweb. Two to three creamy or pink-white eggs, with rusty spots are laid and then incubated by both parents for 14–16 days. Chicks are fed for five weeks after hatching and remain in their parent's territory for 8–9 weeks after fledging.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q942170 Terpsiphone Birds of Mauritius Birds described in 1776 Birds of Réunion Taxonomy articles created by Polbot