Original range | Current range | Estimated population | Threats to survival | Species recovery | Species recovery | Partners and links

Description: The male Mauritius fody boasts a vermilion red head, neck and breast, and dark feathering around its eyes. Its back and wings are dark brown, and its tail is streaked with buff. Adults are approximately 14 cm long.

This solitary songbird prefers native scrub and forest habitat and feeds mainly on insects, supplemented by fruit and nectar.

Original range: Historically, fodies inhabited the upland areas of south-west Mauritius, a 1872-square-kilometre island in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of Madagascar.

Current range: This critically endangered bird is now found in just three areas of the island: Bassin Blanc, Macchabee Forest Road, and Ile aux Aigrettes. A 1999-2001 survey revealed that the distribution of fodies has shrunk substantially.

Estimated population: Today there are fewer than 70 pairs in the wild, compared to roughly 250 pairs in 1975.

Threats to survival: Clearing of forest has been catastrophic to the fody, while introduced predators such as black rats and crab-eating macaque have caused almost total breeding failure in most areas. The native fodies may also face competition from the Madagascar fody, which has been introduced to Mauritius.

Species Recovery: The creation of the Macabe/Bel Ombre Nature Reserve in 1974 has helped to protect remaining fody habitat. A successful captive breeding program is also promising hope. Three captive pairs at the Gerald Durrell Endemic Wildlife Sanctuary have laid 31 eggs from multiple clutches. In late 2004, 24 juveniles were released on Ile aux Aigrettes, a mix of captive-bred birds and hand-reared fodies born in the wild. As of spring 2005, all are still surviving. Some of the released birds have gone on to breed and as of summer 2005, wild population is over 40.

WPC'S Partners in Mauritius > Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, UK (Founding partner) > The Mauritian Wildlife Foundation