The Seychelles Warbler Acrocephalus sechellensis or Pti merl Dezil in Creole, came very close to extinction in the twentieth century. In 1968 there were about 29 birds left in a small patch of mangrove trees on Cousin Island.
In 1968 Cousin Island was declared a nature reserve to protect this critically endangered species; coconut palms were removed and native trees grew up all over the island. The warbler population increased rapidly as the warbler moved into the new habitat. Cousin Island reached carrying capacity for Warblers in 1982, allowing new populations to be established on Cousine and Aride in 1988 and 1990 (coordinated by Birdlife International). Nature Seychelles then coordinated further translocation to Denis Island and Fregate in 2004 and 2011 respectively. By 2014 the goal of increasing the species’ range to five separate populations sustaining over 3,000 individuals had been reached. This outstanding success meant that the species was reclassified to a lesser category of Near Threatened. Further transfers could allow this species to be removed from the list of threatened birds.
Facts
Scientific name: Acrocephalus sechellensis
Conservation status: Near threatened
Population in Seychelles About 3,300 birds
Distribution in Seychelles Cousin, Cousine, Aride, Denis and Fregate
Habitat: Lowland forests and scrub
Nest: A cub-shaped structure, made of grass, coconut fibres, etc. One or two eggs (rarely up to four)
Diet: Small insects caught on vegetation
Identification: A small, brown bird, about the size of a fody but slimmer, with longer legs and narrow beak
Species Fact Sheet on BirdLife Data Zone
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