The Mascarene paradise flycatcher is a species of bird in the monarch-flycatcher family Monarchidae. It is endemic to the Mascarene islands of Mauritius and Réunion. There are two subspecies recognized: the nominate subspecies from Réunion, also known as the Réunion paradise flycatcher; and T. b. desolata from Mauritius. The Mascarene paradise flycatcher was originally described in the genus Muscicapa and the subspecies T. b. desolata was originally described as a separate species.
Region
Mascarene Islands
Typical Environment
Today it is chiefly found in Réunion’s humid and mid-elevation forests, including ravines, riverine woodland, and mature secondary forest with dense understory. Historically it also occurred on Mauritius, where the subspecies desolata was recorded. It favors native tree assemblages and shaded, structurally complex habitats. Birds may use forest edges and plantations adjoining native forest but are most numerous in intact tracts.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1800 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Males develop elegant tail streamers during the breeding season, which they use in display flights through shaded forest understory. The species builds a neat, camouflaged cup nest bound with spider silk on a horizontal fork. It persists mainly in Réunion’s native forests; the Mauritius subspecies is often considered extinct. As an agile insect hunter, it frequently sallies from perches to catch flying prey.
Temperament
active and alert
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with agile sallies from perches
Social Behavior
Typically seen singly or in pairs, especially during the breeding season when pairs defend small territories. The nest is a small, well-camouflaged cup placed on a forked branch, bound with spider silk and often adorned with lichens. Both parents participate in incubation and feeding of the young.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A series of thin whistles and soft, high-pitched phrases interspersed with sharp chip notes. Vocalizations carry well in dense forest and are used for contact and territory advertisement.
Plumage
Soft, plain plumage with warm brown to rufous upperparts and paler greyish to whitish underparts; males develop long, ribbon-like tail streamers in breeding season. Head and face slightly darker with a contrasting pale throat.
Diet
Primarily small flying insects such as flies, moths, and beetles, caught by sallying from low to mid-level perches. It also gleans spiders and caterpillars from foliage and bark. Prey is often subdued and swallowed on the perch, with frequent short foraging forays throughout the day.
Preferred Environment
Forages in shaded understory and mid-canopy of humid forest, along ravines and streams, and at forest edges. It uses perches with good sight lines for aerial hawking but remains close to cover.
