Karthala White-eye

The Karthalabrillenvogel ( Zosterops mouroniensis ) is a species of bird in the family of white-eyes. It is endemic to the Karthala on the Comorian island of Grande Comore. The specific epithet refers to Moroni, the capital of the Comoros.

Description

The Karthalabrillenvogel reaches a length of 13 centimeters and a wing length of 5.6 centimeters. Top of the head, head and neck sides are olive brown dull. To the Iris runs a narrow white eye-ring. About the reins a pale yellow longitudinal line can be seen. The underside is olivgelbgrün. Throat and rump are vividly colored olivgelbgrün. The yellow- greenish tint of the sides is washed out at the breast. The tail is solid matt black. The young birds are different from the adult birds by their duller plumage coloration and the narrower eye ring. The contact call of Karthalabrillenvogels consists of a soft fairy fairy fairy pee pee.

Habitat and behavior

The habitat of the Karthalabrillenvogels is a 72- km ² area on the crater of the Karthala on Grande Comore at an altitude above 1,650 meters. The alpine vegetation is dominated by Philippia comorensis - heath forests. The Karthalabrillenvogel go in large groups searching for food. Occasionally, it can be observed in mixed shoals with the Madagascar White-eye ( Zosterops maderaspatana ). Its diet consists of fruits and insects. A nest was found four feet above the ground and another one meter below the top of a Philippia Heath.

Status

1958 have been destroyed by the activity of the Karthala volcano large areas of heath forests. In addition, the Philippia Heath is threatened by grazing cattle and fire. With the rapidly growing population take to the clearing of forests and agricultural land use. Since 1983, the intact forests have declined by 25%. Arable land have continuously spread on the slopes of Karthala and rich already into the habitat of the Karthalabrillenvogels. Secondary forests and the agricultural belt are of invasive exotic plants such as the strawberry guava ( Psidium cattleianum ) dominates, which degrade the remaining endemic forest further. If the plans to build a road on the crater of the Karthala be realized, exploitation and fragmentation of forests and the spread of invasive plants could be accelerated. Hirtenmainas and house rats are competitors for food and nest predators. 1988 estimated BirdLife International the existence of the Karthalabrillenvogels to between 2,500 to 10,000 copies.