Seychelles
Seychelles is an Indian Ocean archipelago of 115 islands, ranging from the mountainous granitic islands around Mahé to remote, low-lying coral atolls. The main granitic islands are unusual among oceanic archipelagos, with ancient granite peaks rising directly from tropical coasts and supporting humid forest. Smaller islands contain coastal woodland, mangroves, beaches and extensive seabird colonies. The remote Aldabra Atoll, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one of the world's largest raised coral atolls and retains exceptionally intact ecosystems. The climate is tropical and humid year-round.
Overview
Seychelles is an outstanding destination for island endemics and breeding seabirds. Endemic landbirds include Seychelles Black Parrot on Praslin, Seychelles Magpie-Robin, Seychelles Paradise Flycatcher, Seychelles Scops Owl and Seychelles White-eye, several of which have recovered dramatically through conservation programs. Islands such as Cousin, Aride and Bird Island host enormous colonies of tropicbirds, noddies, terns and shearwaters. Remote Aldabra adds specialties including Aldabra Drongo and the flightless White-throated Rail. The main islands have excellent tourism infrastructure, and several endemics are relatively straightforward to find. Reaching outer islands is much more difficult and expensive, however, with Aldabra accessible mainly through specialized expeditions or cruises, making a complete Seychelles bird list logistically challenging.
Top 10 target species
| Species | Annual frequency | January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red Fody Foudia madagascariensis | 49.8% | 45.0% | 56.4% | 43.2% | 46.3% | 40.5% | 46.7% | 49.6% | 55.4% | 57.1% | 54.8% | 52.4% | 49.8% |
| Zebra Dove Geopelia striata | 48.1% | 47.4% | 47.4% | 38.3% | 47.7% | 46.9% | 53.4% | 56.5% | 54.4% | 49.2% | 48.4% | 44.6% | 42.9% |
| Common Myna Acridotheres tristis | 46.9% | 48.9% | 52.4% | 36.6% | 48.9% | 44.0% | 44.3% | 50.8% | 41.5% | 51.3% | 50.0% | 48.6% | 45.5% |
| Malagasy Turtle-Dove Nesoenas picturatus | 46.7% | 41.8% | 45.8% | 41.6% | 49.4% | 43.4% | 46.9% | 54.3% | 55.9% | 46.0% | 46.2% | 48.2% | 40.8% |
| Seychelles Sunbird Cinnyris dussumieri | 44.8% | 45.0% | 43.0% | 30.2% | 36.8% | 40.9% | 49.8% | 58.8% | 55.0% | 45.5% | 44.7% | 44.8% | 42.8% |
| White-tailed Tropicbird Phaethon lepturus | 38.1% | 30.8% | 37.8% | 30.6% | 37.5% | 37.2% | 37.4% | 49.2% | 38.6% | 37.8% | 45.4% | 39.9% | 35.3% |
| Blue-billed White-Tern Gygis candida | 35.8% | 26.7% | 30.7% | 32.9% | 31.6% | 45.5% | 41.8% | 45.3% | 36.3% | 38.9% | 38.5% | 29.8% | 31.8% |
| Seychelles Bulbul Hypsipetes crassirostris | 28.0% | 24.5% | 25.6% | 19.0% | 22.7% | 25.1% | 34.7% | 38.0% | 26.9% | 32.8% | 29.9% | 29.0% | 27.8% |
| Seychelles Blue-Pigeon Alectroenas pulcherrimus | 27.3% | 24.7% | 28.0% | 20.0% | 24.3% | 19.1% | 24.8% | 36.1% | 31.2% | 27.8% | 29.3% | 29.9% | 31.8% |
| Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres | 22.8% | 29.1% | 24.4% | 28.0% | 20.8% | 10.9% | 14.6% | 14.4% | 9.8% | 28.4% | 33.0% | 28.8% | 31.6% |