The Mauritius fody (''Foudia rubra'') is a rare species of bird in the weaver family. It is

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 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 incl ...

. It is classified by

BirdLife International BirdLife International is a global partnership of non-governmental organizations that strives to conserve birds and their habitats. BirdLife International's priorities include preventing extinction of bird species, identifying and safeguarding ...

as being

endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inva ...

.BirdLife International Species Fact Sheet
/ref> It is also on the United States' Endangered Species List with an endangered status.USFWS
Addition of 30 African birds to list of endangered and threatened wildlife.
''Federal Register'' January 12, 1995. This bird is 14 centimeters long. Breeding males are olive brown with a red head, breast and rump patch and black lores. While females, non-breeding males and juveniles are olive brown with white wing bars and a brown bill. The bird lives in several types of forest, including degraded areas, as well as

plantation A plantation is an agricultural estate, generally centered on a plantation house, meant for farming that specializes in cash crops, usually mainly planted with a single crop, with perhaps ancillary areas for vegetables for eating and so on. The ...

s. Stands of

Japanese cedar ''Cryptomeria'' (literally "hidden parts") is a monotypic genus of conifer in the cypress family Cupressaceae, formerly belonging to the family Taxodiaceae. It includes only one species, ''Cryptomeria japonica'' ( syn. ''Cupressus japonica'' L ...

(''Cryptomeria japonica'') have replaced native vegetation and now provide protection against predators.Garrett, L. (2009)
Mauritian Wildlife Foundation Mauritius Fody Recovery Programme Annual Report 2008-09.
It feeds on insects like grasshoppers, beetle larvae, caterpillars, and also spiders. Berries are eaten regularly by some individuals. It feeds on

nectar Nectar is a sugar-rich liquid produced by plants in glands called nectaries or nectarines, either within the flowers with which it attracts pollinating animals, or by extrafloral nectaries, which provide a nutrient source to animal mutualists ...

regularly, using its specialised brush-tipped tongue.Mauritius fody on ''Weaver Watch''
/ref> The bird is a weaver, the male and female cooperating to weave each nest, from material like grass, moss and small twigs. The Mauritius fody is threatened by the loss of its habitat and predation from introduced predators. 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.Mauritius Fody.
Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust. September 12, 2011. Nests are raided by predators, especially the

black rat The black rat (''Rattus rattus''), also known as the roof rat, ship rat, or house rat, is a common long-tailed rodent of the stereotypical rat genus ''Rattus'', in the subfamily Murinae. It likely originated in the Indian subcontinent, but is n ...

(''Rattus rattus'') and the

crab-eating macaque The crab-eating macaque (''Macaca fascicularis''), also known as the long-tailed macaque and referred to as the cynomolgus monkey in laboratories, is a cercopithecine primate native to Southeast Asia. A species of macaque, the crab-eating macaqu ...

(''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 myna has also been observed preying on 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 or anaemia (British English) is a blood disorder in which the blood has a reduced ability to carry oxygen due to a lower than normal number of red blood cells, or a reduction in the amount of hemoglobin. When anemia comes on slowly, th ...

in the chicks. Conservation efforts include the control of rats and macaques. A

captive breeding Captive breeding, also known as captive propagation, is the process of plants or animals in controlled environments, such as wildlife reserves, zoos, botanic gardens, and other conservation facilities. It is sometimes employed to help species that ...

program carried out by the Mauritan Wildlife Foundation 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 establishing sub-populations on offshore islands. Due to these conservation efforts the species was downlisted from critically endangered to endangered in 2009.

Île aux Aigrettes Ile aux Aigrettes is an islet off the south-east coast of Mauritius. It functions as a nature reserve and a scientific research station. It is also a popular visitors attraction - both for tourists and for Mauritians. Geography It has an area o ...

, 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.

References

External links

images and movies of the Mauritius fody ''(Foudia rubra)''
ARKive.
Mauritius fody species text
on Weaver Watch
Mauritius fody breeding photos.
Wildlife Preservation Canada. {{Taxonbar, from=Q967513 Foudia Birds of Mauritius Birds described in 1789 Taxa named by Johann Friedrich Gmelin