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.

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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