With the Hawksbill turtle nesting season winding down on Cousin Island, the turtle team anticipated a quiet period until a Green Turtle was spotted one night. After having nested once, she was expected to return after two weeks, prompting the science officer, Chris Tagg, and the volunteers to take up night patrols in hopes of encountering her.
On one of these patrols, Tagg came upon something moving erratically on the ground. Despite the darkness, he immediately recognized a Seychelles Magpie Robin (Copsychus sechellarum, Pi Santez in Creole) that was heavily covered in Pisonia grandis seeds.
Fruiting Pisonia (Photo: Alan Berger)
Known as the ‘bird-catcher tree,’ Pisonia produces sticky seeds that cling to birds’ feathers. While one or two seeds are harmless, large numbers can weigh birds down and reduce their mobility, leaving them unable to feed, grounded, and vulnerable to crab predation. Pisonia is notorious for snaring seabirds; however, land birds tend to be less affected because they learn to avoid it when the trees are fruiting. The most susceptible are young land birds, and this particular Magpie was a juvenile that had fledged just months prior, likely from a cavity within a Pisonia tree.
The bird was in poor condition and unable to fly or hop, allowing Tagg to catch it within seconds of spotting it. A quick inspection revealed it was covered from head to tail in seeds. Despite its predicament, it was feisty, a healthy weight, and showed no signs of dehydration.
Dry Pisonia seeds are very sticky
The turtle patrol was promptly abandoned, and the bird was rushed back to the office. With the help of the volunteers, Tagg meticulously removed the seeds one by one, ensuring no feathers were damaged or pulled. The painstaking removal took over 20 minutes, with the Magpie Robin constantly fighting, which made the task challenging.
Once all the seeds had been removed, the bird was quickly ringed as it was still unrung. It is now recognized as Sky Blue/Violet. It was weighed, measured, and samples were taken. To provide a safe and calm environment, the bird was placed in a small cardboard box in a cool, quiet room for the night.
The following morning, it was returned to its territory and released, with a crumbled termite nest, one of their favourite meals, offered for it to feed. While other birds rushed down to feast, the rescued juvenile disappeared into thick vegetation.
Sky Blue Violet is now free to fly
For the next few days, the territory was scoured to locate the bird again. Although everything had gone well, there was still concern that it might run into trouble.
Finally, it was spotted. It was cautious and would not come near people, making close inspection difficult. To confirm its condition, Tagg disturbed the soil, scattered more termites on the ground, and strategically placed his phone to film. With this setup, he could leave the area, allowing the Magpie Robin to feel at ease and come down to feed. Reviewing the footage afterwards, he discovered a Magpie Robin that now had full mobility on the ground and had preened itself back to form. This was fantastic news, and Sky Blue/Violet is now regularly seen in this territory.