The Seychelles Fody Foudia sechellarum or Toktok in Creole, is less colourful than its introduced relative the Madagascar Fody, and is a species of forest or scrub habitats.
It seems unable to survive alongside black rats and now occurs on six islands: Cousin, Cousine, Frégate, D’Arros (introduced), Aride (reintroduced 2001) and Denis (introduced 2004). Translocation to Aride and Denis was successfully conducted by Nature Seychelles. It was formerly present on several other islands. It has a strong, broad bill and can tackle all sorts of food. On the small seabird islands where it lives, it can eat the eggs of birds, especially Fairy Terns’. When adult terns are disturbed, the fody tips the egg from its branch onto the ground to smash it and then eats it. In the past, when people harvested seabird eggs on these islands, Seychelles fodies were regarded as a pest. Now, both seabirds and fodys are protected and they survive easily alongside each other. Toktoks are very good parents, both parents care for the chicks and they mate for life. The conservation goal has been to spread the population to new islands and achieve a population of 2,000 adults by 2006. The total population of this species is now estimated at 3,500 individuals, equating to 2,300 mature individuals. This species is listed as Near Threatened
Facts
Scientific name: Foudia sechellarum
Conservation status: Near Threatened
Population in Seychelles About 2,300 birds
Distribution in Seychelles Aride, Cousin, Cousine, Denis, Fregate and D’Arros
Habitat: Forests and scrub
Nest: Untidy domed structure built from grasses and other plant material. Two (sometimes one) eggs are laid
Diet: Insects, fruit, seeds, birds eggs
Identification: A small olive-brown bird. Males in breeding condition have patches of yellow feathers on the crown and chin
See more
Species Fact Sheet at BirdLife Data Zone
(Photo credit: Cas Eikenaar)