Mauritius Olive White-eye
Encyclopedia
The Mauritius Olive White-eye (Zosterops chloronothos often mistakenly spelled Zosterops chloronothus) is a very rare passerine
from the family of white-eye
s (Zosteropidae). It is endemic to the island of Mauritius
.
as Zosterops chloronothos. It can reach a size of about 10 cm. The upperparts are a dull olive-green, the underparts a paler colour. The belly and vent have a yellow hue and the eyes are surrounded by a conspicuous white ring. The males and females are similarly coloured. The habitat of the Mauritius Olive White-eye is the evergreen bushes and forests in the area of the Black River Gorge National Park and the Macchabée-Bel Ombre Biosphere Reserve. Its diet consists of nectar and insects.
During the breeding period, between September and March, two pale eggs are laid in a cup-shaped nest, which is well-hidden in the foliage. Males and females share brooding tasks. Normally only one juvenile is reared, which becomes fully fledged in about 14 days.
s, which destroy the nests. In only 27 years the population declined dramatically from 350 pairs in 1975 to only 120 pairs in 2002. Another reason for its rarity is that the Mauritius Olive White-eye has evolved around the nectar of several endemic flowers from Mauritius. The introduction of other plant species has led to a decline in the required flowers and hence to severely decreasing numbers of the birds. Currently there is a monitoring by the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation
for every found nest.
Passerine
A passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines form one of the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate orders: with over 5,000 identified species, it has roughly...
from the family of white-eye
White-eye
White-eye can refer to:*White-eye , a large family of birds.*White-eye , a species of fish.*White-eye mutation, a mutation in Drosophila melanogaster linked to the X chromosome, found by reciprocal cross breeding experiments in 1906.*A lioness member of the Marsh Pride of lions that have featured...
s (Zosteropidae). It is endemic to the island of Mauritius
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
.
Description
This species was first described in 1817 by French ornithologist Louis Jean Pierre VieillotLouis Jean Pierre Vieillot
Louis Jean Pierre Vieillot was a French ornithologist.Vieillot described a large number of birds for the first time, especially those he encountered during the time he spent in the West Indies and North America, and 26 genera established by him are still in use...
as Zosterops chloronothos. It can reach a size of about 10 cm. The upperparts are a dull olive-green, the underparts a paler colour. The belly and vent have a yellow hue and the eyes are surrounded by a conspicuous white ring. The males and females are similarly coloured. The habitat of the Mauritius Olive White-eye is the evergreen bushes and forests in the area of the Black River Gorge National Park and the Macchabée-Bel Ombre Biosphere Reserve. Its diet consists of nectar and insects.
During the breeding period, between September and March, two pale eggs are laid in a cup-shaped nest, which is well-hidden in the foliage. Males and females share brooding tasks. Normally only one juvenile is reared, which becomes fully fledged in about 14 days.
Threats
The Mauritius Olive White-eye is one of the rarest birds on Mauritius. Difficult to observe, the birds inhabit an area of only 25 km². The main threats are introduced rats and Crab-eating MacaqueCrab-eating Macaque
The Crab-eating macaque is a cercopithecine primate native to Southeast Asia. It is also called the "long-tailed macaque", and is referred to as the "cynomolgus monkey" in laboratories.-Etymology:...
s, which destroy the nests. In only 27 years the population declined dramatically from 350 pairs in 1975 to only 120 pairs in 2002. Another reason for its rarity is that the Mauritius Olive White-eye has evolved around the nectar of several endemic flowers from Mauritius. The introduction of other plant species has led to a decline in the required flowers and hence to severely decreasing numbers of the birds. Currently there is a monitoring by the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation
Mauritian Wildlife Foundation
The Mauritian Wildlife Foundation is a non-governmental, non-profit conservation agency working in Mauritius to save threatened endemic local flora and fauna....
for every found nest.