A Field Guides Birding Tours Report
Madagascar 2023: Extension to Mauritius & Reunion Islands
October 28-November 20, 2023 with Phil Gregory & local guide guiding
This year the afternoon departure from Tana on Air Mauritius was delayed for a day, and we got to our hotel at Flic en Flac around 10 pm, a day late. They had kindly kept a dinner for us and had a lively dance going nearby for the tourists. The contrast with Madagascar was very striking, with good roads, no heavy lorries, and no zebus, plus very different living conditions.
Due to the cancelled flight, we had exactly 4 hours birding around Mauritius, which was excellent and in good weather, with Mauritours doing a fantastic job and local guide Jean-Claud being great. He took us to Chamarel, where we saw the rare Mauritius (Mascarene) Paradise-Flycatcher, Echo Parakeet, and luckily, a female Mauritius Kestrel just as we were about to leave. Chamarel Falls gave a bonus Mauritius Bulbul, though Mauritius Cuckooshrike is no longer accessible, and this species is now down to around 30 birds and is likely to go extinct, I fear. A drive up to Petrin got us splendid Pink Pigeon and the rare Mauritius Fody, so the only species we missed was Mauritius Olive White-eye from Ile aux Aigrettes. Departure was straightforward, and we went to the French overseas department of Reunion for the final day.
Reunion this year was trouble-free and in good weather, with thankfully no gilets-jaune protest, unlike 2018 when we got disrupted. Our first afternoon saw us visit the Etang du Gol in very calm conditions for a sea-watch late afternoon. We had nice looks at many Barau's Petrels, plus Wedge-tailed Shearwater, but nothing else, though a vagrant White-winged Black Tern on the lagoon was unexpected and a Curlew Sandpiper was a good find. A weedy field on the way back to St Denis gave Common Waxbill, Scaly-breasted Munia, and an unexpected Red-billed Quelea. Next day was a lovely, sunny early morning at La Roche Ecrite, ideal conditions for finding Reunion Olive and Reunion Gray white-eyes, Reunion Stonechat, Reunion (Mascarene) Paradise-Flycatcher, Reunion Bulbul, and best of all, terrific looks at a male Reunion Cuckooshrike, found right by the track just before it clouded over and we beat a retreat. Going back, we stopped as the weather cleared and scanned a ridge, luckily finding our final endemic, the Reunion Harrier, so the extension was a great success despite being truncated by Air Mauritius.
Thanks to Mauritours, Jean-Claud, Vikram, and our driver, who looked after us very well indeed, and to Fred on Reunion who took us around the sites we wanted and helped facilitate matters. An enjoyable coda to the main trip, seeing almost all the endemics despite losing a day, and in very different first world conditions. Thank you all for coming, it was fun.
KEYS FOR THIS LIST
One of the following keys may be shown in brackets for individual species as appropriate: * = heard only, I = introduced, E = endemic, N = nesting, a = austral migrant, b = boreal migrant
Columbidae (Pigeons and Doves)
PINK PIGEON (Nesoenas mayeri)
Good views at Petrin.
Scolopacidae (Sandpipers and Allies)
CURLEW SANDPIPER (Calidris ferruginea)
One at Etang du Gol, scarce here.
Laridae (Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers)
WHITE-WINGED TERN (Chlidonias leucopterus)
A vagrant at Etang du Gol was my first on Reunion.
Falconidae (Falcons and Caracaras)
MAURITIUS KESTREL (Falco punctatus) [E]
We went to a nest box at Chamarel but it was not occupied, though Vikram heard the bird call nearby. No sign and we were about to leave when Tom spotted a female sat in a tree. Quite short-winged for a falcon, and more of a woodland than open country bird, it seems. This species was down to about 4 individuals at one time but has recovered well due to captive breeding and predator control measures, though it is still very rare overall, with about 600 individuals.
Psittaculidae (Old World Parrots)
ROSE-RINGED PARAKEET (Psittacula krameri) [I]
A few at Chamarel. Introduced.
ECHO PARAKEET (Psittacula eques) [E]
We worked hard and eventually got nice flight views of this quite large parakeet at Chamarel. This one was down to about a dozen wild birds in 1988, but has recovered quite well to around 450 these days.
Campephagidae (Cuckooshrikes)
REUNION CUCKOOSHRIKE (Lalage newtoni) [E]
Persistence pays! We got a male calling at La Roche Ecrite trail and had good views of it eventually, the hardest of the Reunion endemics. There are now about 48 pairs, an increase due to rat control measures.
Monarchidae (Monarch Flycatchers)
MASCARENE PARADISE-FLYCATCHER (Terpsiphone bourbonnensis bourbonnensis) [E]
Good views along the trail at La Roche Ecrite, with two nests seen; a much easier bird to see than the Mauritius equivalent. Should be split too; expect this to happen in due course.
MASCARENE PARADISE-FLYCATCHER (Terpsiphone bourbonnensis desolata) [E]
A nice view at Chamarel, a much harder bird here than on Reunion and a likely split.
Corvidae (Crows, Jays, and Magpies)
HOUSE CROW (Corvus splendens) [I]
Suzie saw it on Mauritius.
Hirundinidae (Swallows)
MASCARENE MARTIN (Phedina borbonica borbonica)
Small numbers on both islands.
Pycnonotidae (Bulbuls)
REUNION BULBUL (Hypsipetes borbonicus) [E]
Quite vocal but elusive this time and views were brief.
MAURITIUS BULBUL (Hypsipetes olivaceus) [E]
A lucky find at Chamarel waterfall, feeding on palm fruits, quite a low density species.
RED-WHISKERED BULBUL (Pycnonotus jocosus) [I]
Very common on Mauritius and a few on Reunion; introduced.
Zosteropidae (White-eyes, Yuhinas, and Allies)
REUNION WHITE-EYE (Zosterops olivaceus) [E]
Fairly common up at La Roche Ecrite.
REUNION GRAY WHITE-EYE (Zosterops borbonicus) [E]
Widespread on Reunion.
MAURITIUS GRAY WHITE-EYE (Zosterops mauritianus) [E]
Seen several times on Mauritius where it is the most widespread of the endemics.
Sturnidae (Starlings)
COMMON MYNA (Acridotheres tristis) [I]
A common invasive on both islands.
Muscicapidae (Old World Flycatchers)
REUNION STONECHAT (Saxicola tectes) [E]
Great views at La Roche Ecrite.
Ploceidae (Weavers and Allies)
VILLAGE WEAVER (Ploceus cucullatus) [I]
Seems to be increasing and was quite widespread on both islands in the lowlands. This is one of the southern African taxa, long overdue to be split from the very different northern birds.
RED-BILLED QUELEA (Quelea quelea)
A male and female in with the munia and waxbill flocks near Etang du Gol, my first on Reunion.
RED FODY (Foudia madagascariensis) [I]
Seen on both islands where it is introduced.
MAURITIUS FODY (Foudia rubra) [E]
I managed to lure in a male at the Pink Pigeon site; quite a rare bird.
Estrildidae (Waxbills and Allies)
SCALY-BREASTED MUNIA (Lonchura punctulata) [I]
Seen at the SSR airport on Mauritius, and again near Etang du Gol.
COMMON WAXBILL (Estrilda astrild) [I]
Seen at the airport on Mauritius, then some big flocks near Etang du Gol, introduced.
Passeridae (Old World Sparrows)
HOUSE SPARROW (Passer domesticus) [I]
Small numbers on both islands, introduced of course.
Fringillidae (Finches, Euphonias, and Allies)
YELLOW-FRONTED CANARY (Crithagra mozambica) [I]
Seen at Chamarel, introduced.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
We also saw Mauritius Flying Fox (Pteropus niger) and Long-tailed or Crab-eating Macaque (Macaca fascicularis) on this extension.
Totals for the tour: 27 bird taxa and 0 mammal taxa