Mascarene Paradise Flycatcher
| Mascarene Paradise Flycatcher | ||||||||||||
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Mascarene Paradise Flycatcher ( Terpsiphone bourbonnensis ), female |
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| Terpsiphone bourbonnensis | ||||||||||||
| ( Statius Müller , 1776) |
The Mascarene Paradise Flycatcher ( Terpsiphone bourbonnensis ) is on the islands of Mauritius and Reunion occurring bird art from the family of the monarch (Monarchidae).
features
Mascarene paradise flycatchers reach a body length of 15 to 20 centimeters and a weight of 16 to 18 grams. In the males, the skull is black or dark blue. The eye ring is deep blue. The chest and belly are white-gray. The back and wings are maroon in color. There is a slight sexual dimorphism between the sexes . The females are slightly smaller and the bluish areas of color extend to the neck and throat. Both sexes lack the very long tail feathers found in many species of Paradise flycatcher.
Distribution, subspecies and habitat
The distribution area of the Mascarene Paradise Flycatcher includes the entire island of Réunion, where it is represented with the nominate form Terpsiphone bourbonnensis bourbonnensis . The subspecies Terpsiphone bourbonnensis desolata ( Solomon Islands , 1933) colonizes the southern and western coastal strip of Mauritius. On Réunion, the species prefers to live in light mixed forests from the plains to heights of 600 meters. In Mauritius it can be found in evergreen forests as well as in plantations and gardens.
Way of life
The birds feed on insects such as beetles , flies , butterflies and grasshoppers , which are mostly caught in flight. Occasionally they hunt together with mascarene-eyed birds ( Zosterops borbonicus ). The main breeding season falls on Réunion from September to December, on Mauritius from October to November. The cup-shaped nest is primarily made of lichen and moss, intertwined with spider threads, usually placed at a height of between 1.2 and 3.7 meters above the ground in small trees or bushes and equipped with two to three eggs, those of both Parents are hatched within 14 to 16 days. Both parents provide the nestlings with food for about five weeks. They leave parental territory after another eight to nine weeks. Only individual results are available about the age of the species. Six specimens ringed in 1974 were still alive after nine months, but four years later none were found.
Danger
The Mascarene Paradise Flycatcher is not uncommon on Réunion with a population of ten pairs / km². In 1974-75, two birds caught in Mauritius showed symptoms of birdpox . There the species occurs much more sparsely and in 1993 a population of 100 to 300 individuals was assumed. Nevertheless, the species is currently classified as 
" least concern" by the World Conservation Organization IUCN .
Individual evidence
- ^ A b c d K. Moeliker: Mascarene Paradise-flycatcher (Terpsiphone bourbonnensis). In: J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, DA Christie & E. de Juana (eds.): Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona 2017 (accessed at http://www.hbw.com/node/59202 on March 21, 2017).
- ↑ Description
- ↑ Occurrence ( Memento of the original from March 22, 2017 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ IUCN Red List
literature
- Josep del Hoyo , Andrew Elliott, David A. Christie: Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 11: Old World Flycatchers to Old World Warblers. Lynx Edicions, 2006, ISBN 978-84-96553-06-4 .
Web links
- worldbirdnames - IOC World Bird List