Skip to main content

Chatham Black Robin

(Image Source)
Phylum : Chordata
Class : Aves
Order : Passeriformes
Family : Petroicidae
Genus : Petroica
Species : traversi

Height : 4in (10cm)

IUCN Status : Endangered

The Chatham Black Robin is found only on the Chatham Islands, which are situated east of New Zealand. Like many island species, the Chatham Black Robin became threatened by the introduction of invasive predators, most notably rats and cats. By 1980 there were only 5 Chatham Black Robins left.

Of these five, there was only one female capable of reproduction, "Old Blue." It is from Old Blue and her mate, Old Yellow, that all current Chatham Black Robins are descended. What is so amazing about this is that Old Blue was already nine years old when the conservation project remained, far beyond the typical four-year life expectancy!

Old Blue
In order to save the species, scientists employed a conservation method called "cross-fostering." When the Robins laid eggs, the first clutch was taken away and cared for for another bird species. Losing their eggs caused the Robin pair to produce a second clutch, doubling their offspring output each year. There are now over 200 Chatham Black Robins, confined to the islands of Mangere and Rangatira which are free of rats cats. Their conservation is a great success story, and the population continues to increase.

Pairs mate for life, and normally produce one clutch each year. They live in forested areas on lower tree branches in an effort to stay away from the high winds that hit the Chatham Islands. Black Robins are carnivores that feed off of a variety of invertebrates, including roaches, worms, and wetas.
Labels:

Comments

  1. Joseph JGFebruary 3, 2011 at 4:33 PM

    Wow! They were *this* close to extinction, that's ridiculous. And my thumb and forefinger are VERY close to each other right now, I assure you.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Bornean Orangutan

The Bornean Orangutan is one of two extant Orangutan species in the world. It is the third largest primate (after Gorillas) and is the largest primarily tree-dwelling animal in the world. Males are substantially larger than females, and average at around 165lbs. Bornean Orangutans are largely solitary. A handful might live within a small range but they will seldom interact with one another. Males and females only meet up to breed, which happens only once every several years. A young Orangutan will stay with it's mother for about five years, and the females tend to go about eight years between births. That is the longest interim period of any animal! Sadly, the Bornean Orangutans are in a lot of trouble. They need large forests in order to thrive, and deforestation and habitat degradation has left many homeless. They are also hunted for meat and for traditional medicines. Conservation areas are being established to help these guys in the wild, and it is believed that there are a
60 comments
Read more

Four!

For anyone who was counting, yesterday was our birthday-- four years! Four years filled with animals from A to Z, more than 1,100 of them! I can't thank my readers enough, it's been wonderful! And in celebration of that milestone... I'm taking a break. Hopefully not forever, but for a little bit at least. In the mean time I plan on getting a new layout out, along with some updates to some of the older articles. I'll post updates here and on the Facebook page, I'm also brainstorming some new animal-related projects, so keep an eye out! Thanks again for four awesome years!
18 comments
Read more

Binturong

The Binturong ( Arctictis binturong ) also has an equally awesome alternate common name, the Bearcat! However, it really isn't much of a bear OR a cat. While it is true that it is part of the Feliforma suborder, it is not a member of family Felidae. Binturongs are a part of their own family, Viverridae, which is shared with Civets, Linsangs, and Genets. There are six subspecies of Binturong, all of which have slight differences based upon location and habitat. Binturongs range in body size from 60-100cm in length, (not including their tail which has roughly the same length) and weigh between 20 and 30lbs. Binturongs are nocturnal animals native to the rain forests of South East Asia. The species range spans through several countries including China, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. They are tree dwelling mammals, and have fully prehensile tails that basically double their body length and can be used to cling to the trees or to grasp food. Binturongs are phe
Post a Comment
Read more