Mauritius
Mauritius is a volcanic island nation in the western Indian Ocean, consisting of the main island of Mauritius, Rodrigues and several smaller outer islands. The main island has rugged volcanic mountains, forested gorges, agricultural lowlands and a coastline largely surrounded by coral reefs and lagoons. Much of the original forest has been cleared, but important remnants survive in the mountainous southwest, particularly around Black River Gorges. Rodrigues is smaller, drier and more heavily altered, while offshore islets preserve important native ecosystems. The climate is tropical, with wetter uplands and a pronounced cyclone season.
Overview
Mauritius is famous for both island endemism and conservation success, most notably the recovery of the Mauritius Kestrel, once reduced to only a handful of individuals. Black River Gorges National Park is the main area for endemic landbirds including Pink Pigeon, Echo Parakeet, Mauritius Cuckooshrike, Mauritius Bulbul and Mauritius Olive White-eye. Rodrigues has its own endemics, notably Rodrigues Warbler and Rodrigues Fody. Offshore islands are important for tropicbirds, petrels, shearwaters and terns, with Round Island particularly significant for seabird conservation. Mauritius has excellent general tourism infrastructure, good roads and established conservation sites, making many endemics relatively accessible. Visiting Rodrigues requires an additional flight or sea journey, while protected offshore islands may have restricted access or require organized boat trips and permits.
Top 10 target species
| Species | Annual frequency | January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Common Myna Acridotheres tristis | 63.3% | 59.3% | 71.3% | 61.3% | 64.7% | 63.8% | 71.8% | 55.9% | 60.6% | 58.5% | 64.9% | 59.5% | 68.3% |
| Red-whiskered Bulbul Pycnonotus jocosus | 62.4% | 55.2% | 65.0% | 51.2% | 63.2% | 65.5% | 69.0% | 61.5% | 62.5% | 60.3% | 67.0% | 63.7% | 64.9% |
| Zebra Dove Geopelia striata | 51.2% | 46.2% | 56.7% | 50.7% | 57.0% | 54.2% | 63.2% | 47.0% | 53.8% | 41.0% | 50.7% | 42.6% | 51.6% |
| Red Fody Foudia madagascariensis | 50.7% | 50.1% | 68.6% | 57.4% | 56.0% | 45.8% | 34.6% | 29.6% | 44.8% | 47.4% | 62.2% | 51.0% | 60.7% |
| House Sparrow Passer domesticus | 48.1% | 38.4% | 47.1% | 46.6% | 48.0% | 49.1% | 62.9% | 45.4% | 47.9% | 47.4% | 51.6% | 47.5% | 45.1% |
| Malagasy Turtle-Dove Nesoenas picturatus | 36.0% | 28.0% | 30.2% | 30.7% | 35.2% | 41.1% | 43.8% | 36.9% | 39.3% | 32.2% | 45.1% | 32.6% | 36.8% |
| Mauritius Gray White-eye Zosterops mauritianus | 35.2% | 31.3% | 30.8% | 29.3% | 31.3% | 37.2% | 40.0% | 31.7% | 37.8% | 36.5% | 44.1% | 34.8% | 37.0% |
| Village Weaver Ploceus cucullatus | 33.7% | 30.6% | 31.8% | 26.7% | 28.0% | 31.2% | 44.6% | 29.7% | 39.8% | 32.5% | 39.9% | 35.1% | 35.0% |
| Mascarene Swiftlet Aerodramus francicus | 30.5% | 24.7% | 30.2% | 25.2% | 30.6% | 33.2% | 34.9% | 31.8% | 33.2% | 27.9% | 31.1% | 29.1% | 34.4% |
| White-tailed Tropicbird Phaethon lepturus | 27.6% | 25.0% | 22.8% | 26.2% | 25.0% | 29.2% | 29.4% | 30.1% | 23.4% | 21.8% | 31.1% | 32.0% | 34.6% |