Mauritius weaver
| Mauritius weaver | ||||||||||||
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Mauritius weaver ( Foudia rubra ) |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Foudia rubra | ||||||||||||
| ( Gmelin , 1789) |
The Mauritius weaver ( Foudia rubra ) is a species of bird from the family of weaver birds (Ploceidae). It is endemic to Mauritius .
description
The Mauritius weaver reaches a size of 14 centimeters. The head, neck and chest are vermilion red in the male in splendid plumage. The reins are black. The back is dark brown. The wings and tail are streaked buff. The rump and upper tail-coverts are reddish. Non-breeding males, females and young birds differ from the Madagascar weaver in their darker, less streaked plumage, their plump build and their relatively shorter tail. The singing consists of chip-chip tones with harsh calls.
habitat
The Mauritian weaver lives in native forests in the southwest of Mauritius and on the Île aux Aigrettes . Observations between 1994 and 2003 showed that the species is increasingly found in degraded forests with non-endemic plants such as pines and sickle firs , which offer better protection against predators.
Way of life
When the Mauritian weavers were resettled, they formed fixed breeding pairs and lived monogamous, which would be an exception among weaver birds. Once the population grew and good territories became rare, the males had between 1 and 4 females, each claiming their own territories in the male's territory. In the meantime, unrelated juveniles have also been observed to help a couple raise their brood - a behavior known from weaver birds. The couples who are loyal to the location claim territories of over one hectare and defend them all year round. The breeding season extends from late August to early April and is linked to the forage-rich rainy season. Both sexes take part in nest building, with the female cushioning the nest with soft plant fibers and feathers at the end - which distinguishes the nest from the nests of the invasive Madagascar weavers, which are not lined. The nest is dome-shaped with a round entrance on the top. Two to four eggs are laid and incubated by both parents for two weeks. The male helps raise the young. After another two to three weeks, the young leave the nest. Before the breeding season, the male birds partially moult, with red feathers growing in the head area and on the rump. After the breeding season, the males lose their splendor again.
The diet consists mainly of insects, nectar and fruits. The birds show great skill in foraging for food, they often remove bark and open sticky leaves to get at insects or termites. Small day geckos are also on the menu and occasionally there are nests of birds, e.g. B. plundered by the endemic Mauritius spectacled bird .
status
Between 1975 and 2001, the population of the Mauritius weaver decreased by 55% due to clearing of the highland forests, the stalking of invasive animals such as house rats and crab monkeys and competition with the Madagascar weaver. In 1975 between 247 and 260 pairs were counted. At the end of 2001 there were between 108 and 122 couples. The decline has been slowing since 1993. A conservation breeding program led by the Mauritius Wildlife Foundation, the Gerald Durrell Endemic Wildlife Sanctuary and the National Parks and Conservation Service enabled 47 individuals to be released on the Île aux Aigrettes in 2005. In 2006, 42 young birds were raised on the Île Aux Aigrettes. Today this subpopulation counts 135 specimens.
literature
- France Staub : Birds of the Mascarenes and Saint Brandon . LABAMA HOUSE, Port Louis, Mauritius, 1976.
- France Staub: Fauna of Mauritius and associated flora . Précigraph Limited, Port Louis, Mauritius, 1993.
- Safford, RJ (1997): The annual cycle and breeding behavior of the Mauritius Fody Foudia rubra. Ostrich, 68 (2): pp. 58-67.
- Safford, RJ (1997): Nesting success of the Mauritius Fody Foudia rubra in relation to its use of exotic trees as nest sites. Ibis, 139 (3): pp. 555-559.
Web links
- ARKive - Pictures and information about the Mauritius weaver ( Foudia rubra )
- BirdLife Species Factsheet
- Foudia rubra in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2009. Posted by: Jones, C., Nichols, R., Cristinacce, A. Garrett, L., Tatayah, V., Safford, R. Switzer, R, 2009 Retrieved March 12, 2012.