Réunion Bulbul

Maskarenenfluchtvogel ( Hypsipetes borbonicus )

The Maskarenenfluchtvogel ( Hypsipetes borbonicus ), also referred to as Réunionbülbül, is a passerine bird in the genus fleeing birds, is endemic to the island of Réunion.

Description

He sees the Mauritiusbülbül similar, but with 22 cm smaller. He's mostly ash-gray with a black hood. The iris is conspicuously white. Beak and feet have an orange-red tint.

Way of life

He is a fruit eater in the first place and especially in February and March, he comes from the higher elevations, where it occurs in the secondary forests in the valleys and eats from the ripe guavas. Nectar, insects and small lizards enrich his diet. During the southern summer the female lays two eggs in a cone-shaped nest.

Endangering

Its population has declined sharply due to the competition with the Rotohrbülbül and poaching. In the early days of Reunion, he was hunted and served on festive occasions as a delicacy, which was comparable to the Ortolan. Even in the 1970s, hunting and nature conservation authority of the country has it classified as a hunting bird. He is also kept as a cage bird.