Distribution studies on the forest-living native passerines of Mauritius Original Research Article

Of the six forest-living native passerines of Mauritius, five are largely restricted to native vegetation. These are the Mauritius cuckoo-shrike Coracina typica, Mauritius black bulbul Hypsipetes olivaceus Mascarene paradise flycatcher Terpsiphone bourbonnensis, Mauritius olive white-eye Zosterops chloronothus and Mauritius fody Foudia rubra. Their distributions are concentrated on the escarpment south of the central plateau, and most species are absent from the forests near the east coast. Populations in 1993 were of the order of 100–300 pairs for all five species. Since the last census in 1975, the cuckoo-shrike and black bulbul appear to have at least maintained numbers; the former may have increased its population by expanding its range. The flycatcher, olive white-eye and fody have all declined more seriously than could have been expected from the fraction of their former area of occupancy destroyed. Most species are restricted to a small fraction of the available native habitat, because of nest predation and perhaps also reduced food supply, disease and, in the past, organochlorine pesticide use. Three habitat management strategies applicable to their long-term conservation are introduced.