Réunion bulbul

Overview

Wikipedia

The Réunion bulbul is a species of the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is endemic to Réunion.

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Distribution

Region

Mascarene Islands

Typical Environment

Restricted to Réunion Island, it occupies native humid forests, secondary woodland, ravines, and forest edges. It readily forages in orchards, gardens, and plantations where fruiting trees are abundant. The species favors mid- to high-elevation habitats but can occur locally near the coast where suitable cover and food exist. It tends to avoid very dry low scrub and treeless alpine zones. Adaptability to disturbed habitats has helped it persist outside pristine forest.

Altitude Range

Sea level to 2000 m

Climate Zone

Tropical

Characteristics

Size20–23 cm

Wing Span30–35 cm

Male Weight0.06 kg

Female Weight0.055 kg

Life Expectancy8 years

Ease of Keeping

Beginner friendly: 2/5

Useful to know

The Réunion bulbul is a forest-dwelling songbird found only on Réunion in the southwest Indian Ocean. It adapts well to secondary growth and gardens where fruiting trees are available. It is an important local disperser of native plant seeds and also helps control insects. Competition with introduced species and habitat changes can affect local numbers, but it remains fairly common overall.

Gallery

Behaviour

Temperament

alert and moderately territorial

Flight Pattern

short rapid wingbeats with brief glides

Social Behavior

Typically forms monogamous pairs during the breeding season, building a cup-shaped nest in trees or dense shrubs. Outside breeding, it forages in small groups or family parties and may gather at fruiting trees. Pairs defend territories around nest sites and high-value food sources.

Migratory Pattern

Resident

Song Description

A loud, varied series of fluty whistles, chatter, and scolding notes. Males deliver more elaborate phrases from the canopy at dawn and during calm periods of the day.

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Identification

Comb Type

Plumage Description

Feather Color

Leg Color

Earlobe Color

Eye Color

Feeding Habits

Diet

Preferred Environment

Requires Supplement

Population

Conservation Status

Species Status

Wild Population

Total Known Population

Réunion cuckooshrike

The Réunion cuckooshrike is a passerine bird in the cuckooshrike family. It is endemic to the island of Réunion, where it is restricted to two areas of mountain forest in the north of the island. Males are dark grey above and pale grey beneath, while females have dark brown upper parts and a streaked breast. The population has been declining and the range contracting, being currently about 16 square kilometres (6.2 sq mi), and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated the species as "critically endangered", with the possibility that the bird could be wiped out by a tropical storm. Conservation efforts are being made by attempting to control the cats and rats which prey on the chicks, and this seems to have resulted in the population stabilising.

Réunion harrier

The Réunion harrier, also known as Réunion marsh harrier, is a species of bird of prey belonging to the marsh harrier group of harriers. It is now found only on the Indian Ocean island of Réunion, although fossil material from Mauritius has been referred to this species. It is known locally as the papangue or pied jaune. The Malagasy harrier of Madagascar and the Comoro Islands was previously treated as a subspecies of this bird but is increasingly regarded as a separate species. The Réunion harrier appears to be declining in numbers and it is classed as an endangered species.

Réunion ibis

The Réunion ibis or Réunion sacred ibis is an extinct species of ibis that was endemic to the volcanic island of Réunion in the Indian Ocean. The first subfossil remains were found in 1974, and the ibis was first scientifically described in 1987. Its closest relatives are the Malagasy sacred ibis, the African sacred ibis, and the straw-necked ibis. Travellers' accounts from the 17th and 18th centuries described a white bird on Réunion that flew with difficulty and preferred solitude, which was subsequently referred to as the "Réunion solitaire".

Réunion sheldgoose

The Réunion sheldgoose or Kervazo's Egyptian goose is an extinct species of sheldgoose from Réunion. It was a close relative of the Egyptian goose and was about the same size. There is only one description remaining, that of Dubois made in 1674. Apart from that, the species is only known from brief reports and subfossil bones, collected by British ornithologist Graham S. Cowles. Dubois' full account reads as follows:Wild geese, slightly smaller than the European geese. They have the same feathering, but with the bill and feet red. They are very good [to eat].