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Reunion Cuckooshrike

Coracina newtoni
The Reunion Cuckooshrike is a small, arboreal bird found only on Reunion Island, a small French territory in the Indian Ocean. Not only is it exclusively found on that island, but it can be located in only two very small pockets in the northwest part.

Reunion Cuckooshrikes are Critically Endangered, and it is estimated that only 25 breeding pairs remain. The population is larger than that, but at least 2/3 of the living birds are male, which has prevented the numbers from increasing.

Black and Brown rats are the major cause of the Cuckooshrike's decline. The introduced mammals feed on the birds' eggs. Poaching and human encroachment have also led to the loss of these birds. Careful protections, including a species recovery plan and the elimination of rats in the area, are attempting to bring this bird back from the brink of extinction.
IUCN Status : Critically Endangered
Location : Reunion Island
Size : Length up to 8.5in (22cm)
Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Passeriformes
Family : Campephagidae -- Genus : Coracina -- Species : C. newtoni
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Comments

  1. Emma SpringfieldJune 12, 2011 at 2:40 PM

    We will hope that the population grows as iy should.

    ReplyDelete
  2. NicoleJune 14, 2011 at 11:18 AM

    It's terrible when human civilizations interfere with the habitats of animals. Day by day, we unknowingly destroy millions of homes that belong to all the wildlife. I do hope this lovely little bird and its kind will flourish as time passes.

    ReplyDelete
  3. RashnaSeptember 6, 2016 at 4:42 AM

    I pray to God that the population grows well :(

    ReplyDelete

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