{"id":29875,"date":"2023-05-24T10:06:04","date_gmt":"2023-05-24T10:06:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/mauritius\/all-news\/alive-as-a-kestrel-an-emblem-for-preventing-extinctions"},"modified":"2023-05-24T11:06:00","modified_gmt":"2023-05-24T11:06:00","slug":"alive-as-a-kestrel-an-emblem-for-preventing-extinctions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/mauritius\/all-news\/alive-as-a-kestrel-an-emblem-for-preventing-extinctions","title":{"rendered":"Alive as a kestrel: An emblem for preventing extinctions"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Mauritius. <\/strong><\/span>By Shaun Hurrell <\/b><\/p>\n

To celebrate endangered species day, we\u2019re introducing the anti-Dodo: Mauritius Kestrel. The official national bird of Mauritius, it is one of the world\u2019s greatest conservation success stories, making the island nation and its BirdLife Partner iconic for preventing extinctions, rather than extinction.<\/p>\n

\u201cDodos are everywhere! On our coins and banknotes, the Mauritian coat of arms.<\/p>\n

There are fluffy Dodo mascots, Dodo cafe\u0301s, even Dodo flip-flops,\u201d exclaims Jean Hugues Gardenne, Communications Manager for the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation (MWF, BirdLife Partner).<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019ve become our de facto national bird. But there\u2019s a real irony to Mauritians reiterating such a sad story of extinction.<\/p>\n

\u201d It\u2019s not hard to see why the Mauritian people could have attached themselves to a disheartening environmental narrative, though.<\/p>\n

Dutch sailors first started decimating the Mauritian island habitats in the 1600s when they colonised the unique archipelago in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, and now only 1.3% of good-quality native forest remains.<\/p>\n

The poor old flightless, ground-nesting Dodo epitomises this hapless human plundering of the innocent, having not evolved defences to the flurry of introduced mammalian predators that ensued \u2013 Homo sapiens included.<\/p>\n

The last Dodo was reported dead in the 1680s, and many other species followed, but the legend of the Dodo has lived on worldwide. However, there\u2019s another side to the Mauritian environmental story: one of hope, dedication and conservation success.<\/p>\n

A story that\u2019s now captivating the hearts of the Mauritian people, including their government. This story is centred on another bird \u2013 just as emblematic, but living.<\/p>\n

Most threatened in the world<\/b><\/p>\n

A rush of air. A flash of russet. An agile falcon with pointed wings and a long tail darts through the leaves. She then soars above the trees and comes properly into focus, perching daintily on a familiar vantage point.<\/p>\n

Introducing the Republic of Mauritius\u2019 official National Bird: \u201cMauritius Kestrel. Once the most threatened bird in the world, the species can now be seen quite easily on an ecotourism excursion.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was amateur ornithologists \u2013 the \u2018early guardians\u2019 \u2013 who first noticed the disappearance of Mauritius Kestrel in the 1960s,\u201d says Vikash Tatayah, MWF\u2019s Conservation Director, \u201cincluding Mauritians such as dentist and painter France Staub, entomologist Jean Vinson and Yousouf Mungroo.<\/p>\n

\u201d But despite initial attempts to save it in the 1970s, by 1974 it was down to only four confirmed individuals (including just one breeding pair). Mauritius Kestrel seemed doomed to extinction, just like other Mauritian birds of prey (the country\u2019s endemic owl species went extinct in the 1800s).<\/p>\n

\u201cWe might abandon the Mauritius Kestrel to its all-but inevitable fate,\u201d wrote environmentalist Dr Norman Myers in The Sinking Ark (1979), \u201cand utilize the funds to proffer stronger support for any of the hundreds of threatened bird species that are more likely to survive.<\/p>\n

\u201d But a small team in Mauritius refused to sit by and watch the kestrel disappear.<\/p>\n

Threats to the species were, in part, similar to the Dodo\u2019s: the clearing and degradation of the kestrel\u2019s forest habitat \u2013 along with its prey of geckos and small birds \u2013 was devastating to its population.<\/p>\n

So was the impact of introduced mammals: rats and monkeys that crept into the birds\u2019 cliff-top crevices and tree-cavity nests, or cats and mongooses that killed fledglings on the ground.<\/p>\n

But unlike with the Dodo, the widespread use of the pesticide DDT after the Second World War added to the kestrel population\u2019s collapse (in the case of its eggs, quite literally \u2013 in 1967 DDT was found to cause eggshell thinning). Drastic action was needed.<\/p>\n

Despite the doubts and the desperate odds, a renewed and concerted effort was launched to save the kestrel in the 1980s, driven passionately by a nascent MWF, working with the Mauritian government and international conservation organisations.<\/p>\n

Now, dubbed \u2018a conservation marvel\u2019 and well known in the conservation sector, the kestrel\u2019s population has swelled to the hundreds and has inspired the successful recovery of other Mauritian species including Pink Pigeon, Echo Parakeet, Mauritius Fody [see below] and several reptiles.<\/p>\n

Egg harvesting and wild camping<\/b><\/p>\n

But it wasn\u2019t easy. It took a novel, \u2018cavalier\u2019 approach led by 2016 Indianapolis Prize-winner Professor Carl Jones (who arrived in 1979), based on captive breeding and supplementary feeding, together with management of nests in the wild.<\/p>\n

Eggs were harvested from the last wild pairs, then artificially incubated and the young hand-reared using techniques adapted from falconry (including hand puppets).<\/p>\n

With enough food, females will lay a second clutch of eggs when the first is taken (so-called \u2018double-clutching\u2019), helping to boost numbers. Captive-bred and reared birds were introduced to the wild, protected and nurtured.<\/p>\n

Kestrels were even habituated to a whistle and would swoop down at feeding time: \u201cThat split second when it grabs food from your hand is beyond words,\u201d says Tatayah.<\/p>\n

Over 300 birds were reintroduced over a decade into the Black River Gorges in the west and the Bambou Mountains in the east of Mauritius. But there\u2019s little point in reintroducing a species to a degraded and dangerous environment.<\/p>\n

Intensive monitoring and protection was needed to fully understand the species, its needs and immediate threats. Jones, Lewis and other researchers would \u2018become a kestrel\u2019 to find solutions, wild camping under nests for days on end.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdults often attacked our heads during nest inspections \u2013 bald men must take extra care,\u201d laughs Tatayah.<\/p>\n

It was nights like that when the team realised the threat of introduced monkeys, cats and mongooses, and the solution: predator-proof artificial nest boxes that kept chicks out of reach of Long-tailed Macaques in particular.<\/p>\n

Wild kestrels have also been proven to lay more eggs and rear chicks more successfully in these boxes. MWF also began the immense task of restoring lost and degraded forest to increase the habitat for the kestrel and other species.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are fighting against the odds,\u201d says Tatayah, \u201covercoming four centuries of human presence and disturbance on the environment, which in itself is a big challenge.<\/p>\n

\u201d To make matters worse, introduced plant species \u2013 such as Strawberry Guava \u2013 were also spreading into native forest, killing off seedlings of native plants and reducing the food supplies and hunting efficiency of the kestrel.<\/p>\n

Turning point<\/b><\/p>\n

The declaration of Black River Gorges as Mauritius\u2019 first National Park in 1994 was a turning point in both kestrel conservation and the environmental consciousness of the nation.<\/p>\n

MWF had previously invited the late Prime Minister of Mauritius, Sir Anerood Jugnauth, to visit the area and feed a few wild birds. He was inspired and drew reference to the kestrel and the wonderful work that had been done in its conservation when debating the need for the national park.<\/p>\n

The kestrel is therefore also a high-flying example of how the conservation of one \u2018umbrella species\u2019 (and also top predator) can lead to the protection of an entire ecosystem.<\/p>\n

Moreover, the spraying of DDT for agriculture and to repel mosquitoes was drastically reduced from the 1980s, though it continued to be used in some localised outbreaks of malaria and chikungunya virus.<\/p>\n

By the early 2000s, the kestrel\u2019s population had increased to a high of 500-600 and was reclassified by BirdLife as Vulnerable on the Red List of threatened species. However, while the kestrels on the east coast continued to thrive, reports came of a population decline in the Black River Gorges in the west.<\/p>\n

This was, ironically, just after MWF and collaborators had stopped actively monitoring and providing nest boxes in the west sub-population because the kestrels seemed to be doing so well on their own (and to some extent due to funding constraints \u2013 which goes to show what happens when conservation funding is taken away).<\/p>\n

As a result, the kestrel was \u2018uplisted\u2019 to Endangered again in 2014 because of its small and declining population (currently around 350 wild birds). A recent research paper looking at the long-term trends of four introduced populations of Mauritius Kestrel confirms the importance of post-release monitoring, which MWF did manage to rectify hastily.<\/p>\n

National pride<\/b><\/p>\n

\u201cWe want Mauritians to be proud of saving species,\u201d says Hugues Gardenne.<\/p>\n

\u201cGo back 10 years and the average Mauritian was not concerned about protecting nature.<\/p>\n

But now, with the impacts of climate change visible and more awareness of our iconic species, people are becoming more and more environmentally aware.<\/p>\n

\u201d In total, Mauritius has prevented the possible or probable extinction of nine animal species: five birds, three reptiles and a fruit bat. It is now recognised as saving more species from extinction than any other country.<\/p>\n

With Mauritius Kestrel the driver of this work and the bird proudly displayed on its logo, MWF is showing the way forward with its innovative conservation approaches.<\/p>\n

The organisation has also saved over 100 endemic plants on Mauritius and neighbouring Rodrigues Island and on offshore islets, and countless endemic insects along with them.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want all Mauritians to know this,\u201d says Hugues Gardenne, who has been hastily disseminating thousands of leaflets on the kestrel and wider conservation efforts to the Mauritian public following the announcement of their new National Bird.<\/p>\n

Jones put forward the idea of Mauritius Kestrel as a national bird a decade ago, and Tatayah was applauded and cheered when he presented the idea to Members of Parliament, including Senior Ministers in late 2021.<\/p>\n

The ratification was carried out quickly so that the announcement could be made on 12 March last year, the 30th anniversary of the accession of Mauritius to the status of Republic (which followed independence from the British Empire).<\/p>\n

Raptors feature as the national birds of many countries, aptly representing beauty, proud independence, strength, majesty, survivorship and determination.<\/p>\n

Not \u2018as dead as a Dodo\u2019<\/b><\/p>\n

\u201cThe restoration of the Mauritius Kestrel has been an international effort and demonstrates what can be achieved if we co-operate,\u201d says Jones.<\/p>\n

Since its creation and then status as a BirdLife Partner in 1984, MWF has grown stronger and stronger as an independent NGO, with support from around the world, including BirdLife*.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe greatest joy has been to see the development of local expertise \u2013 work that was once largely done by expatriate ornithologists is now being conducted by a growing group of young Mauritians,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n

The work on the kestrel will have to be carefully managed for the foreseeable future. \u201cThe National Bird is not just a name,\u201d says Tatayah. \u201cWe want it to drive conservation here. Mauritius cannot look back on the kestrel, its forests, plants and geckos on which it depends.<\/p>\n

\u201d MWF staff continue their work to restore and protect kestrel habitat from destruction and degradation, and are confident the species can recover well in the west with the help of more nest boxes and additional releases.<\/p>\n

MWF also maintains a productive working relationship with its main partner, the National Parks and Conservation Service, especially in captive rearing and releases into the Black River Gorges National Park.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy declaring the National Bird,\u201d says Jones, \u201cthe Government of Mauritius is recognising its value and making a commitment.<\/p>\n

Any species can be saved,\u201d says Roger Safford, BirdLife\u2019s Preventing Extinctions Programme Manager, ex-MWF employee and co-author of Birds of Madagascar and the Indian Ocean Islands.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe just have to try harder. There are no lost causes.<\/p>\n

\u201d Tatayah, Jones and Hugues Gardenne couldn\u2019t agree more, seeing a future where Mauritius is famous worldwide not for the Dodo\u2019s extinction, but for preventing extinctions.<\/p>\n

For More News And Analysis About Mauritius<\/a> Follow Africa-Press<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Mauritius. By Shaun Hurrell To celebrate endangered species day, we\u2019re introducing the anti-Dodo: Mauritius Kestrel. The official national bird of Mauritius, it is one of the world\u2019s greatest conservation success stories, making the island nation and its BirdLife Partner iconic for preventing extinctions, rather than extinction. \u201cDodos are everywhere! On our coins and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":29874,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,6],"tags":[233,245,2465,241],"class_list":["post-29875","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-files","tag-africa-press","tag-africa-press-mauritius","tag-dodos","tag-mauritius"],"yoast_head":"\nAlive as a kestrel: An emblem for preventing extinctions - Mauritius<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"By Shaun Hurrell To celebrate endangered species day, we\u2019re introducing the anti-Dodo: Mauritius Kestrel. 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