Réunion
Réunion is a mountainous French island in the western Indian Ocean, formed by volcanic activity and dominated by spectacular peaks, deep valleys and steep-sided volcanic cirques. Piton des Neiges, the island's highest point, rises above 3,000 metres, while Piton de la Fournaise is one of the world's most active volcanoes. Humid forests cover much of the wetter eastern slopes, transitioning through montane heath to drier vegetation in the west. The rugged interior forms part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, while development is concentrated mainly around the coast.
Overview
Réunion has a small but distinctive avifauna with several island endemics. Key landbirds include Réunion Cuckooshrike, Réunion Bulbul, Réunion Stonechat, Réunion Grey White-eye and Réunion Olive White-eye. The critically endangered cuckooshrike is restricted to a small area of native forest and is the island's most difficult endemic target. Réunion is also globally important for seabirds: the endemic Barau's Petrel breeds high in the mountains, while the extremely rare Réunion Petrel nests in remote volcanic terrain. Seawatching can also produce tropicbirds and other Indian Ocean seabirds. As part of France, Réunion has excellent roads, accommodation and hiking infrastructure, making most landbird sites unusually accessible for a tropical island, although rugged mountain trails and specialized nocturnal or pelagic outings may be needed for seabirds.
Top 10 target species
| Species | Annual frequency | January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Common Myna Acridotheres tristis | 54.2% | 62.7% | 63.3% | 56.0% | 53.3% | 51.7% | 62.6% | 51.3% | 56.6% | 51.1% | 47.7% | 42.1% | 52.0% |
| Reunion Gray White-eye Zosterops borbonicus | 50.4% | 43.4% | 57.6% | 40.7% | 51.5% | 56.8% | 69.6% | 54.3% | 55.4% | 47.9% | 45.5% | 38.9% | 43.1% |
| Red-whiskered Bulbul Pycnonotus jocosus | 50.4% | 56.3% | 49.5% | 45.2% | 43.2% | 58.5% | 55.0% | 50.5% | 59.0% | 54.1% | 51.6% | 39.3% | 42.2% |
| House Sparrow Passer domesticus | 49.4% | 30.8% | 49.4% | 48.2% | 58.5% | 58.3% | 50.9% | 49.9% | 63.5% | 60.8% | 45.7% | 37.9% | 39.6% |
| Red Fody Foudia madagascariensis | 47.9% | 54.5% | 60.0% | 56.0% | 50.7% | 40.1% | 38.0% | 33.0% | 40.2% | 55.8% | 53.5% | 44.6% | 48.5% |
| Zebra Dove Geopelia striata | 35.9% | 26.1% | 29.4% | 34.2% | 40.0% | 42.6% | 40.8% | 38.3% | 45.4% | 46.5% | 35.4% | 23.9% | 28.3% |
| Mascarene Swiftlet Aerodramus francicus | 35.2% | 26.9% | 28.5% | 29.3% | 28.0% | 36.9% | 42.4% | 53.2% | 39.5% | 39.8% | 31.7% | 32.8% | 33.5% |
| Malagasy Turtle-Dove Nesoenas picturatus | 32.0% | 17.0% | 24.2% | 21.9% | 32.1% | 36.8% | 36.7% | 42.5% | 41.7% | 38.6% | 33.3% | 30.3% | 28.8% |
| White-tailed Tropicbird Phaethon lepturus | 31.1% | 33.5% | 35.3% | 30.2% | 24.3% | 26.9% | 35.9% | 46.3% | 34.2% | 22.7% | 25.9% | 28.0% | 30.6% |
| Rock Pigeon Columba livia | 28.7% | 31.8% | 21.2% | 18.8% | 31.7% | 26.4% | 38.1% | 33.9% | 38.4% | 31.7% | 28.4% | 21.5% | 23.0% |