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Mauritius and Réunion - 19th November to 26th November 1995,
General Information
- References
- Itinerary (summary)
The Sites
* Bassin Blanc* Mauritius
* Black River Gorges National Park * Mauritius
* Gerald Durrell Endemic Wildlife Sanctuary * Mauritius
* Round Island - Serpent Island and Gunner's Coin
* Mauritius
* Plaine d' Affouches * Réunion
* La Roche Écrite * Réunion
* St. Etienne River Mouth * Réunion
* Takanaka * Réunion
- Daily Log
- Systematic List of Birds
This report covers my trip to Mauritius and Réunion from 19th November to 26th November 1995.
Our seven days trip encompassed all of the known sites on both islands. I was accompanied by my Belgian friend Eric Wille.
Mauritius and Réunion have been, since their discovery, synonymous with rare birds. The Dodo, a huge flightless, aberrant pigeon, hung on in Mauritius until about 1681.
Together the Mascarenes support 20 of the 175 Malagasy endemics, 18 of which occur only here, well under half of the total before Man arrived.
The endemic avifauna of Mauritius has taken refuge in the relics of virgin forest on the heights and in the valleys of the southwest. Good native forest habitat in Réunion has been reduced to a tiny fraction of its original area.
Mauritius and Réunion are both small smallish islands, and are two of the Mascarene group, extending in a line east of Madagascar, separated from it and each other by several hundred kilometres of deep water.
Mauritius is probably the best known. It is also central in position and size, with an area of over 1800 square kms and a maximum height of over 800 m; half‑a‑dozen islets extend in a string northeast from the northernmost point.
Réunion, a French department, 200 km to the southwest, is the largest of the Mascarenes at just over 2500 square kms, and much the highest with one peak over 3000 m.
FLIGHT AND VISA
Before we travelled to Madagascar we visited the Mascarene Islands Mauritius and Réunion. From Réunion we travelled to Madagascar. Our return-ticket (Air France) for the entire air journey cost us about ¦ 1900,--. The flights were punctual and troublefree.
When you're leaving Mauritius, you are required to pay a departure tax of 100 Mauritian Rupees. Be sure to confirm your reservations for your return flight.
You do not need a visa to enter either island.
MONEY
On Mauritius the currency is the Mauritian Rupee. When we were there the exhange rate fluctuated between
11 - 12 Mauritian Rupees to the guilder. We took traveller's cheques in French Francs, which are readily changeable, as are Dutch Guilders, Belgian Francs etc.
The currency in Réunion was the French Franc, and this made the cost of living very expensive, almost one and a half times the price in the Netherlands.
Creditcards. Visa and Mastercard are widely accepted in the large shops and the more expensive hotels.
Creditcard holders can get cash advances at most banks.
ACCOMMODATION
All sites have convenient hotel facilities fairly close by. They were expensive on both islands.
Some prices for a double room:
Beach Resort Hotel, Villas Pointe Aux Roches
1600 Mauritian Rupees (including breakfast and dinner)
L' Oiseau du Paradise, Grand Baie 900 Mauritian
Rupees
Select Hotel, St. Denis 350
French Francs
FOOD AND DRINK
Generally quite good, rather expensive at Réunion, although much cheaper on Mauritius.
Many different meals available and the food is generally very reasonable in both taste and quantity.
Stay away from uncooked fruits and vegetables that you haven't peeled yourself, and don't use ice. It is best to avoid drinking the water unless you know it is boiled (Mauritius).
HEALTH AND SAFETY
The people on both Mascarene Islands are in general both friendly and helpful, making for a pleasant and hassle‑free trip.
Vaccinations, consult your own doctor for up to date advice. Be sure to get enough malaria tablets for your trip, and do take them, although this disease appears to be absent from Réunion. Nowadays with the Lariam Roche tablets you have to take only one tablet a week.
Hepatitis A, a 10-year injection (three jabs at interval) is now available, doing away with the need to visit the doctor immediately before travel.
Mosquitoes are sometimes a problem. Insect repellent is necessary at these locations.
Mosquitoes were not much of a problem in the field, but they are present in most of the hotels at Mauritius at night.
LANGUAGE
The language spoken on Mauritius is Creole, but most people speak also French and English.
The official language of Réunion, a department of France, is of course French, although a number of people connected with the tourist trade could speak English.
WEATHER
Generally the weather is wetter on Réunion than on Mauritius, due to the more mountainous nature of the island.
During the time we spent in Mauritius it was mostly sunny and warm (temperatures around 25o).
In the tropics it is wise to wear a hat. The three days spent on Réunion being accompanied by clouds and rain. The clouds at the top of La Roche Écrite and at Plaine d' Affouches, come in very quickly, so it is advisable to get to these sites in the early morning.
TRANSPORT AND ROADS
The roads are good on both islands. On both islands, it's best to hire a car if you can afford it. For car rental, you will need a major credit card, a passport and a valid driver's license.
We booked our cars in advance through Avis, for both Mauritius and Réunion, and had no problems collecting the cars at the airports on our arrival.
On Mauritius we hired a Volkswagen CITI for four days, costing 2216 Mauritian Rupees. On Mauritius, they drive on the left side of the road.
On Réunion we had an Opel Corsa for three days, costing 967 french Francs.
Both cars proved to be very good with no problems being encountered.
EQUIPMENT
The species on both islands are no real skulkers, so tapes are by no means essential.
A telescope is useful at coastal sites and lakes and very useful for viewing canopy species especially from roadsides.
Good opportunities to photograph are found on both islands, with some of the birds coming very close in response to tape playback.
CLASSIFICATION
Taxonomy and sequence follow James F. Clements Birds of the World, A Check List (July 1991).
MAPS AND SKETCH MAPS
The best road maps can be obtained in advance in Europe. Maps are also easily obtainable in the main bookshops in Port Louis and St. Denis. Nearly all sketch maps in this trip report are orientated so that north is at the top. Although I have tried to make all the maps as accurate as possible, please allow for the vagaries of memory.
The sketch maps are NOT to scale!
USEFUL ADDRESSES
Boattrip to Round Island:
Captain Lindi Vencatassin
Noblys Road
Grand Baie
Mauritius
Telephone 2637275
(The captain can also be contacted at the harbour of
Grnad Baie, in front of the Caltex Filling Station)
Mauritian Wildlife Appeal Fund
Tamarin
Mauritius
BOOKS
- James F. Clements. Birds of the World. A Check List
- P. Harrison. Seabirds an Identification Guide.
- Oliver Langrand. Guide to the Birds of Madagascar.
- C. Michel. Birds of Mauritius.
- France Staub. Fauna of Mauritius and Associated Flora.
REPORTS
- Jem Babbington. A Report on the Birds of Réunion and Mauritius.
- Dave Sargeant. A Birders Guide to Mauritius and Réunion.
I found the detailed notes by Jem Babbington most useful. This report formed the basis of our trip and proved quite useful. Dave Sargeant's report is now a little out of date and quite alot of information has changed or was missing.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This trip would not have been so succesful without Jem Babbington's report.
I also want to thank Mark van Beirs who provided useful advice.
SUMMARY
November 18 Brussels * Paris
Mauritius
November 19 Seychelles * Mauritius * Bassin Blanc
November 20 Bassin Blanc * Gerald Durrell Endemic Wildlife Sanctuary
* Black River Gorges NP
November 21 Port Louis * Grand Baie
November 22 Grand Baie * Round Island * Serpent Island * Gunner's Coin
* Grand Baie
November 23 Grand Baie * Port Louis * Bassin Blanc * Réunion (St. Denis)
Réunion
November 24 St. Denis * Plaine d'Affouches *
St. Etienne River Mouth * St. Denis
November 25 St. Denis * La Roche Écrite * St. Etienne River Mouth * St.
Denis
November 26 St. Denis * La Roche Écrite * Takanaka * St. Denis
BASSIN BLANC * MAURITIUS
This is a small lake, situated in the hills of the southwest of Mauritius, 4 kilometres south of Black River Gorges National Park and is marked on most maps of the island.
There is a sign explaining that the road along the crater lake is closed, but this is not true. The local people use the gravel road and you can drive to the lake very easily.
Accommodation: a hotel along the coast near Bassin Blanc.
Bassin Blanc is well-known for the scenic lake nestled in a volcanic cone, and the rare endemic birds in the surrounding forest. This site should definitely be included in any itinerary, as it holds most of the endemic species.
No permit is required for visiting this area and the birding is done from the main road (2 kms long).
A few hours at this site may suffice to see the specialities. If time permits it is worth staying a longer time at this site, just incase you have difficulty with the Mauritius Olive White-eye and Mauritius Fody, which can be difficult.
Species:
White‑tailed Tropicbird, Grey Francolin, Common Moorhen, Rose‑ringed Parakeet, Madagascar Turtle‑Dove, Spotted Dove, Zebra (Striated) Dove, Mascarene Swiflet, MASCARENE PARADISE‑FLYCATCHER (very rare here), MAURITIUS CUCKOO‑SHRIKE, Common Myna, MASCARENE MARTIN, Red‑whiskered Bulbul, MAURITIUS BULBUL, MASCARENE GREY WHITE‑EYE, MAURITIUS OLIVE WHITE‑EYE (can be difficult to find), House Sparrow, Common Waxbill, Scaly‑breasted Munia, Red Fody, MAURITIUS FODY.
BLACK RIVER GORGES NATIONAL PARK * MAURITIUS
The Black River Gorges National Park (6754 hectares) is the location of some of the rarest forests in the world. It is situated in the mountains in the southwest of the island, a few kilometres north of Bassin Blanc.
If travelling from Basin Blanc, it is only a short distance due north (uphill) to La Petrin. At La Petrin there is an information centre. The best trail is the Macchabée Forest trail.
Accommodation: a hotel along the south or west coast of the island.
The Macchabée Forest trail lets you experience the Mauritian tropical forest at its best.
Do not visit the park without prior arrangement with the Mauritian Wildlife Appeal Fund. The staff at the Gerald Durrell Endemic Wildlife Sanctuary are doing their utmost to ensure the continued survival of the great rarities Mauritius Kestrel, Pink Pigeon and Mauritius (Echo) Parakeet.
No permit is required for visiting this park and the birding is done from the main trail, by looking out over Black River Gorges or by walking the small tracks interconnecting the main trails.
Species:
White‑tailed Tropicbird, MAURITIUS KESTREL, Grey Francolin, PINK PIGEON, Madagascar Turtle‑Dove, Spotted Dove, Zebra (Striated) Dove, Rose‑ringed Parakeet, MAURITIUS (ECHO) PARAKEET, Mascarene Swiflet, MAURITIUS CUCKOO‑SHRIKE, Common Myna, MASCARENE MARTIN, Red‑whiskered Bulbul, MAURITIUS BULBUL, MASCARENE GREY WHITE‑EYE, House Sparrow, Common Waxbill, Scaly‑breasted Munia, Red Fody.
GERALD DURRELL ENDEMIC WILDLIFE SANCTUARY * MAURITIUS
This is the place where the rare breeding bird centre (Maurtian Wildlife Appeal Fund, MWAF) is situated.
It is located at Grand River Noire on the west coast of the Island.
Accommodation: a hotel along the south or west coast of the island.
The main reason for visiting this centre is to be allowed to go out with the staff to feed the captive bred but released Mauritius Kestrel at Black River Gorges National Park.
At the sanctuary the captive birds here include Mauritius Kestrel, Pink Pigeon and Mauritius (Echo) Parakeet. At the sanctuary you can see a pair of Mauritius Kestrel which are are breeding now in a tree at the centre.
Their captive-release programmes have already met with some success. For example, there were just 4 wild Mauritius Kestrels in 1973, today there are over 400 free‑flying birds.
ROUND ISLAND - SERPENT ISLAND AND GUNNER'S COIN * MAURITIUS
These three small uninhabited islands lie to the north of Mauritius.
Boats can be chartered from Grand Baie. If you are birding in a small crew, try to make contact with Lindi Vencatassin in the harbour of Grand Baie. You can also charter a Tuna fishing boat and they can be hired for 7500 Mauritian Rupees a day. These boats can take fifteen people, so if a number of people were travelling together this would make it quite a cheap day out.
Accommodation: Can be found at Grand Baie, but is rather expensive as this is a very smart holiday area. Round Island is the most important of the three islands, because this island has a number of speciality seabirds that are difficult to find elsewhere in the world. At Round Island there is a colony of the dimorphic Herald Petrel. As the sea conditions allow it you can make a landing on Round Island.
Species:
HERALD PETREL, Wedge‑tailed Shearwater, Audubon's Shearwater, KERGUELEN PETREL, BLACK‑WINGED PETREL (one record?), BULWER'S PETREL, Masked Booby, RED‑TAILED TROPICBIRD, White‑tailed Tropicbird, Striated Heron, Sooty Tern, Brown Noddy, LESSER NODDY, Zebra (Striated) Dove, Red‑whiskered Bulbul.
This is a site situated about 25 kms from the capital of St. Denis, in the mountains surrounding the city.
Follow the route St. Denis - La Montagne (D41). At Le Dix Septième there is a sign with "Plaine d'Affouches".
It is approximately 15 kms to the forest.
Accommodation: a hotel in St. Denis.
Most of the endemics occur here and an as yet undescribed Scops-Owl has been recorded.
Species:
White‑tailed Tropicbird, RÉUNION HARRIER, Madagascar Buttonquail, Zebra (Striated) Dove, Mascarene Swiftlet, MASCARENE PARADISE‑FLYCATCHER, RÉUNION STONECHAT, MASCARENE MARTIN, Red‑whiskered Bulbul, RÉUNION BULBUL, MASCARENE GREY WHITE‑EYE, RÉUNION OLIVE WHITE‑EYE, Red Fody.
This is a site situated about 15 kms from the capital of St. Denis, in the mountains surrounding the city.
The site can be reached via Le Brûlé (D42). This road is a very steep road and it will take one hour before you reach the start of the hiking trail.
Accommodation: a hotel in St. Denis.
The trail to La Roche Écrite starts at the car park in some pine forest. After a quarter of an hour the trail leads to the natural forest.
No permit is required for visiting this area, and the trail is wide and easy to follow, and also not too steep.
This site should definitely be included in any intinerary, as it holds nearly all the endemic species.
Réunion Cuckoo‑Shrike is not easy to find, but a couple of hours at the track should be enough.
Its characteristic calls draw attention to this otherwise rather secretive bird, which creeps about in the moss encrusted branches.
The main problem with La Roche Écrite is the fact that low clouds and rain occur regularly, due to it's 1000 metre elevation. Visit the area first thing in the morning.
Species:
RÉUNION HARRIER, Madagascar Turtle‑Dove, Zebra (Striated) Dove, Mascarene Swiftlet, MASCARENE PARADISE‑FLYCATCHER, RÉUNION CUCKOO‑SHRIKE, Common Myna, RÉUNION STONECHAT, MASCARENE MARTIN, Red‑whiskered Bulbul, RÉUNION BULBUL, MASCARENE GREY WHITE‑EYE, RÉUNION OLIVE WHITE‑EYE, House Sparrow, Red Fody.
ST. ETIENNE RIVER MOUTH * RÉUNION
This site is located about 75 kms from the capital of St. Denis, on the southwest coast of Réunion at the mouth of the St. Etienne River, a few kms west of St. Pierre.
Follow the coastal road from St. Denis to St. Pierre. The St. Etienne River mouth is crossed by a large bridge, and just before this bridge you come off the main road to a roundabout and head towards Bel Air.
This leads down to an industrial estate and to the coast. Park here and look out to the sea.
Accommodation: Can be found at all of the large towns and villages in the area, but like everywhere on the island would be expensive.
One late afternoon at this site is all that is required to see the sea specialities. This is the place to see Barau's Petrel, en route to its breeding sites inland. When you are very lucky you may see Mascarene Black Petrel, which has been claimed on a number of occasions.
Species:
BARAU'S PETREL, MASCARENE BLACK PETREL, Wedge‑tailed Shearwater, Audubon's Shearwater, White‑tailed Tropicbird, Striated Heron, Madagascar Buttonquail, Brown Noddy, Zebra (Striated) Dove, Common Myna, House Sparrow, Common Waxbill, Village Weaver, Red Fody.
This site is situated about 80 kilometres from St. Denis, on the east coast of Réunion. Takanaka is a large waterfall, with a lookout point, and is much more a tourist attraction than a birding spot.
Nothing will be seen here that can not be seen elsewhere, but it is a nice place to visit.
Accommodation: Can be found at all of the large towns and villages in the area, but like everywhere on the island would be expensive.
Species:
White‑tailed Tropicbird, RÉUNION HARRIER, Madagascar Turtle‑Dove, Zebra (Striated) Dove, Mascarene Swiftlet, MASCARENE PARADISE‑FLYCATCHER, RÉUNION STONECHAT, MASCARENE MARTIN, Red‑whiskered Bulbul, RÉUNION BULBUL, MASCARENE GREY WHITE‑EYE, RÉUNION OLIVE WHITE‑EYE.
MAURITIUS
Saturday 18th November/Sunday 19th November, Brussels * Paris * Seychelles * Mauritius
We departed from Brussels airport at 13.00 hours. After a short flight to Paris and a long Air France-flight of about nine hours we touched down at Mahé Island on the Seychelles, roughly 1500 kilometres east of Africa.
In the two hours we had to wait at the airport we noted amongst others White‑tailed Tropicbird, Seychelles Blue Pigeon and Red Fody. Hereafter the Air France plane departed and two hours later we arrived at Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport of Mauritius.
After the usual amount of bureaucracy we cleared customs and hired a Volkswagen. In the late afternoon we drove to Bassin Blanc. En route to the small crater lake we saw Spotted Dove, Common Myna, Red‑Whiskered Bulbul, Village Weaver and Red Fody.
When we arrived at the crater lake we made a stroll along the gravel road and in the few remaining patches of native forest on the island we saw amongst others White‑tailed Tropicbird, Mascarene Swiftlet, Mascarene Grey White‑eye and Mauritius Fody. The light was already fading when we saw a Mauritius Bulbul.
Near Bassin Blanc we checked in at the expensive Villas Pointe Aux Roches Beach Resort Hotel.
Monday 20th November, Bassin Blanc * Gerald Durrell Endemic Wildlife Sanctuary * Black River Gorge N.P.
Up at 5.00 a.m. and off for Bassin Blanc. Another walk along the deserted road near the crater produced amongst others Rose‑ringed Parakeet, a pair of Mauritius Cuckoo‑Shrikes and 2 Mauritius Olive White‑eyes.
Then we took off for Grand River Noire, the small village where the rare breeding centre of the Mauritius Wildlife Fund is situated. En route to the centre we made a stop at the saltpans near Petit River Noire and noted here a few waders. At the breeding centre in Grand River Noire (since 12 September 1995 it is called the Gerald Durrell Endemic Wildlife Sanctuary) we met Ruth a staff member. Ruth made an appointment with us to pick us up the next day for a visit to the camp for the release of the Pink Pigeons at Black River Gorges N.P.
In a hole in an old tree near the centre a pair of Mauritius Kestrels had their nest and the male attacked us quite a few times when we came too close.
Hereafter we drove to the Black River Gorges N.P. En route to the park we saw a group of Crab‑eating Macaques, probably introduced by the first Dutch settlers. The rough dirt track along the north side of the gorge was indeed very bad, but we made it with our two‑wheel drive car. En route to the camp we obtained very good telescope views of one of the world's rarest parrots, the Mauritius (Echo) Parakeet and we also saw a few Mascarene Martins.
At the camp we counted at least 30 Pink Pigeons. All the pigeons have been released from captive stock, although some of them were second generation birds, hatched in the wild.
The rest of the day we spent along the Macchabée Forest Road admiring the White‑tailed Tropicbirds in the Black River Gorge.
Tuesday 21st November, Port Louis * Grand Baie
We left our beach‑bungalow and headed to Port Louis, the capital of the island. En route to the capital we made another stop at the saltpans. The saltpans held a variety of waders including Whimbrel, Ruddy Turnstone, Curlew Sandpiper and Gray Plover while offshore we saw some terns.
We made a stop at the breeding centre in Grand River Noire and told Ruth we already had seen all the prize birds in the National Park. We said goodbye to her and then drove northwards. We made a stop at Casela Bird Park and saw lots of waterfowl and parrots.
In the late afternoon we arrived at a rainy Grand Baie, a very smart holiday area and booked a room at hotel L'Oiseau du Paradise. Hereafter we made a trip in the vicinity of Grand Baie and noted amongst others Grey Francolin.
Unfortunately the rain got heavier and heavier and continued until dark so feeling rather frustrated we returned to our hotel to consider our plans for the following day. Dinner was excellent at the hotel.
Wednesday 22nd November, Round Island, Serpent Island, Gunner's Coin
Wake‑up call was at 5.45 a.m., but by the time we were boarding the Bonanza it was almost 7.00 a.m.
The sea was flat calm and there was little wind when we left the bay, but as soon as we reached the reef near Gunner's Coin the sea conditions became a bit rough and Eric and I were concerned that we had to sail back, but fortunately captain Lindi had no such worries.
As soon as we were clear of the reef we began to see plenty of seabirds, mostly Sooty Terns, Brown Noddies and Wedge‑tailed Shearwaters. There was too much swell to land at Round Island. Howvere we were able to get good views of the Herald Petrel, an impressive Pterodroma with a very restricted range.
We also had very good views of Red‑tailed Tropicbirds, displaying against the bright blue sky.
We continued on to the nearby very steep Serpent Island, where many Lesser Noddies and Sooty Terns nest on the rocky slopes. The real highlight was a Bulwer's Petrel, a seabird we certainly had not expected to see here.
By way of compensation for not being able to land on Round Island, captain Lindi took us into a fairly sheltered bay on Gunner's Coin. We went ashore and walked almost to the top of the island, where we had wonderful views of the White‑tailed and Red‑tailed Tropicbirds. Getting of the island was a little tricky and I almost fell into the sea.
In the late afternoon we returned to Grand Baie, sunburned and very thirsty.
Thursday 23rd November, Grand Baie * Bassin Blanc * Réunion (St. Denis)
We had a leisurely breakfast at the hotel and started the return trip to the southern part of the island. Before driving south we visited an Araucaria forest near Goodlands where we searched in vain for the Mascarene Paradise‑Flycatcher.
On our way to the airport we made a stop at Bassin Blanc, but we did not find any 'new' birds here.
Hereafter we headed to the airport and a short flight took us to Réunion, a department of France.
Stepping off the plane in St. Denis we were greeted by dark clouds and heavy rain.
We picked up our Opel Corsa at the airport and then drove to the nearby town of St. Denis, where we checked into the Select Hotel.
RÉUNION
Friday 24th November, St. Denis * Plaine d' Affouches * St. Etienne River Mouth * St. Denis
At dawn the following day we set off to drive to the Plaine d'Affouches. The central part of Réunion is a world apart from the traffic jams of the coastal plains. Here the forests were in pristine condition and the scenery was quite magnificent. As we drove down the dirt road to the Plaine d'Affouches a Madagascar Buttonquail crossed the road in front of us. We were fortunate to have perfect weather and soon we began to notch up the island's endemic land birds. Réunion Stonechats were everywhere and incredibly tame and higher up we found Réunion Bulbul, Mascarene Grey White‑eye, Réunion Olive White‑eye and Mascarene Paradise‑Flycatcher.
A large bird above the forests was the first of four Réunion Harriers, we did see at Plaine d'Affouches.
In the afternoon we headed to the mouth of the St. Etienne River on the west coast of the island.
The seawatch proved successful and we saw many Barau's Petrels and a few Audubon's Shearwaters.
Hereafter we returned to our hotel in St. Denis.
Saturday 25th November, St. Denis * La Roche Écrite * St. Etienne River Mouth * St. Denis
Early next morning again found us on our way to the interior of the island. Soon we were winding our way upwards through lush forest to La Roche Écrite.
We spent all day along the well‑known hiking trail and met many people who were walking to the interior of the island. We saw the same birds as the previous day and it took quite some time before we found the Réunion Cuckoo‑Shrike, the rarest of the endemic landbirds of Réunion.
In the late afternoon we again spent a few hours at the St. Etienne River mouth, but we did not see Mascarene Black Petrel.
Sunday 26th November, St. Denis * La Roche Écrite * Takanaka * St. Denis
At 6.30 a.m. we again drove to La Roche Écrite and spent a few hours on the hiking trail. Despite a very rainy morning we found no less than 7 nests of the Réunion Stonechat along the trail.
Our final hours on Réunion we spent admiring the spectacular scenery of the waterfalls of Takanaka.
Hereafter we returned to the airport near St. Denis.
Leaving the Mascarene Islands behind we flew to Antananarivo in Madagascar, but that is another story.
In conclusion both Mauritius and Réunion were safe, and pleasant, countries to visit. I finished the trip with 49 species, of which 24 were lifers.
Jan Vermeulen
Bredaseweg 14
4861AH Chaam
The Netherlands
Tel: (031) - 161 - 491327
E-mail: jem.vermeulen@wxs.nl
SYSTEMATIC LIST OF BIRDS
This list follows the sequence and scientific nomenclature of James F. Clements
(July 1991, Birds
of the World. A Check List and Supplement No. 1, 1992).
This specific treatment follows Dr. Charles Sibley and Dr. Burt L. Monroe, Jr (1990, Distribution and Taxonomy of Birds of the World, Yale University Press).
Species in parentheses are the English names in "Fauna of Mauritius and Associated Flora" by France Staub, but only mentioned when these differ significantly from the Clements Check List. The Dutch names follow the translated "The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Birds of the World" (Geïllustreerde Encyclopedie van de Vogels) of Dr. Christopher M. Perrins.
Data are estimates of the minimum numbers seen.
I have not listed exact numbers and sites of all species. I am sure that any birder can survive without knowing how many Village Weavers we saw at Grand Baie in Mauritius.
* = endemic species to Mauritius or Reunion
(i) = introduced species
(M) = Mauritius
(R) = Reunion
N.P. = National Park
100+ = at least 100 birds
1. * HERALD PETREL, Pterodroma arminjoniana,
Heraldstormvogel
3 at Round Island (M).
2. * BARAU'S PETREL, Pterodroma baraui, Barau's Stormvogel
200+ at the St. Etienne River mouth (R).
3. WEDGE‑TAILED SHEARWATER, Puffinus pacificus, Wigstaartpijlstormvogel
50+ at Round Island and Serpent Island (M).
4. AUDUBON'S SHEARWATER, Puffinus lherminieri, Audubons Pijlstormvogel
3 at the St. Etienne River mouth (R).
5. BULWER'S PETREL, Bulweria bulwerii, Bulwers
Stormvogel
A splendid observation near Serpent Island (M).
6. RED‑TAILED TROPICBIRD, Phaethon rubricauda, Roodstaartkeerkringvogel
50+ (breeding) at Round Island and Gunner's Coin (M).
7. WHITE‑TAILED TROPICBIRD, Phaethon lepturus, Witstaartkeerkringvogel
15+ at Black River Gorges N.P. (M), 75+ at Round Island, Serpent Island
and Gunners Coin (M), 15+ along the coast (St. Denis - St. Etienne River mouth)
(R) and 4 at la Roche Écrite (R).
8. STRIATED HERON, Butorides striatus, Mangrove‑reiger
A few near Port Louis (M), 3 at Round Island and Gunner's Coin (M),
2 en route from St. Denis - St. Etienne River Mouth (R).
9. * REUNION HARRIER, Circus maillardi, Réunionkiekendief
4 at Plaine d'Affouches (R), 5 at la Roche Écrite (R) and 3 at Takanaka
(R).
10. * MAURITIUS KESTREL, Falco punctatus, Mauritiustorenvalk
A breeding pair at Grand River Noire (M).
11. (i) GREY FRANCOLIN, Francolinus pondicerianus, Grijze Frankolijn
A single bird in the neigbourhood of Grand Baie (M).
12. (i) MADAGASCAR BUTTONQUAIL, Turnix nigricollis, Madagaskarvechtkwartel
A single observation at Plaine d'Affouches (R).
13. COMMON MOORHEN, Gallinula chloropus, Waterhoen
2 at Bassin Blanc (M) and 15+ en route from Port Louis - Grand Baie
(M).
14. WHIMBREL, Numenius phaeopus, Regenwulp
Small numbers along the west coast of Mauritius.
15. COMMON SANDPIPER, Tringa hypoleucos, Oeverloper
A single one en route from Port Louis - Grand Baie (M).
16. RUDDY TURNSTONE, Arenaria interpres, Steenloper
2 at the saltpans near Petit River Noire (M).
17. SANDERLING, Calidris alba, Drieteenstrandloper
A single observation en route from St. Denis - St. Etienne River mouth
(R).
18. CURLEW SANDPIPER, Calidris ferruginea, Krombekstrandloper
20+ at the saltpans near Petit River Noire (M).
19. GREY PLOVER, Pluvialis squatarola, Zilverplevier
4 at the saltpans near Petit River Noire (M).
20. SOOTY TERN, Sterna fuscata, Bonte Stern
A common bird at Serpent Island (M).
21. BROWN NODDY, Anous stolidus, Noddy
A very common bird at Serpent Island (M).
22. LESSER NODDY, Anous tenuirostris, Kleine Noddy
A fairly common bird at Serpent Island (M).
23. (i) ROCK DOVE, Columba livia, Stadsduif
Fairly common in villages and cities on both islands.
24. MADAGASCAR TURTLE‑DOVE, Columba picturata, Madagaskartortel
A common bird at Mauritius and Reunion.
25. * PINK PIGEON, Columba mayeri, Mauritiusduif
30+ at Black River Gorges N.P. (M).
26. (i) SPOTTED DOVE, Streptopelia chinensis, Parelhalstortel
Fairly common at Mauritius.
27. (i) ZEBRA DOVE (STRIATED DOVE), Geopelia striata, Zebraduif
Common at Mauritius and fairly common at Reunion.
28. (i) ROSE‑RINGED PARAKEET, Psittacula krameri, Halsbandparkiet
Small numbers at Bassin Blanc (M).
29. * MAURITIUS PARAKEET (MAURITIUS ECHO PARAKEET), Psittacula
echo, Mauritiusparkiet
2 at Black River Gorges N.P. (M).
30. * MASCARENE SWIFTLET, Collocalia francica, Mauritiussalangaan
Small numbers at Black River Gorges N.P. (M) and Bassin Blanc (M),
fairly common at Reunion.
31. * MASCARENE PARADISE‑FLYCATCHER, Terpsiphone bourbonnensis,
Mascarenenparadijsmonarch
2 at Plaine d'Affouches (R), 10+ at la Roche Écrite (R).
32. (i) HOUSE CROW, Corvus splendens, Huiskraai
10+ in the vicinity of Port Louis (M).
33. * MAURITIUS CUCKOO‑SHRIKE, Coracina typica, Mauritiusrupsvogel
A pair at Bassin Blanc (M).
34. * REUNION CUCKOO‑SHRIKE, Coracina newtoni,
Réunionrupsvogel
2 at la Roche Écrite (R).
35. (i) COMMON MYNA, Acridotheres tristis, Treurmaina
A fairly common bird on both islands.
36. * REUNION STONECHAT, Saxicola tectes, Réunionroodborsttapuit
14 at Plaine d'Affouches (R) and 10+ at la Roche Écrite (R).
37. * MASCARENE MARTIN, Phedina borbonica, Mascarenenzwaluw
Small numbers at Bassin Blanc (M), Black River Gorges N.P. (M) and
also at Plaine d'Affouches (R) and at la Roche Écrite (R).
38. (i) RED‑WHISKERED BULBUL, Pycnonotus jocosus, Roodoorbuulbuul
A common bird at Mauritius, a few at Reunion.
39. * REUNION BULBUL, Hypsipetes borbonicus, Réunionbuulbuul
6 at Plaine d'Affouches (R) and 10+ at la Roche Écrite (R).
40. * MAURITIUS BULBUL (MAURITIUS BLACK BULBUL), Hypsipetes olivaceus,
Mauritiusbuulbuul
1 at Bassin Blanc (M) and 2 at Black River Gorges N.P. (M).
41. * MASCARENE GREY WHITE‑EYE, Zosterops borbonicus, Mascarenenbrilvogel
Fairly common at Bassin Blanc (M) and at Black River Gorges N.P. (M),
a few near Goodlands (M), fairly common at Plaine d'Affouches (R) and at la
Roche Écrite (R).
42. * REUNION OLIVE WHITE‑EYE, Zosterops olivaceus, Réunionbrilvogel
Fairly common at Plaine d'Affouches (R) and at la Roche Écrite (R).
43. * MAURITIUS OLIVE WHITE‑EYE, Zosterops chloronothos,
Mauritiusbrilvogel
Only 2 birds at Bassin Blanc (M).
44. (i) HOUSE SPARROW, Passer domesticus, Huismus
Fairly common near settlements on both islands.
45. (i) COMMON WAXBILL, Estrilda astrild, Sint Helena‑fazantje
6 at Bassin Blanc (M), a few en route from Port Louis - Grand Baie
(M) and 1 at la Roche Écrite (R).
46. (i) SCALY‑BREASTED MUNIA, Lonchura punctulata, Muskaatvink
3 near Grand Baie (M).
47. (i) VILLAGE WEAVER, Ploceus cucullatus, Grote Textorwever
A fairly common bird on both islands.
48. RED FODY, Foudia madagascariensis, Madagaskarwever
A common bird on both islands.
49. * MAURITIUS FODY, Foudia rubra, Mauritiuswever
8 at Bassin Blanc (M).
50. (i) YELLOW‑FRONTED CANARY, Serinus mozambicus, Mozambique‑sijs
Small numbers in the Grand Baie area (M).
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