FLORA & FAUNA
“Mauritius has a collection of endemic Fauna and Flora. Many of which are found nowhere else in the world due to the islands isolated location. Here are a list of some of the most rare and beautiful sights you can see in Mauritius.
I am not guaranteeing you to share my opinion, never the less I cannot suggest what I have not seen or experienced. If you don't find what you are looking for here please also check Mauritius Wildlife and Mauritius Sea Life pages or you can always contact me by clicking on one of the inquiry form buttons throughout this site".
Karen
PINK PIGEON
The Pink Pigeon is one of the rarest pigeons in the world, characterised by its pinky grey colour. The bird is endemic to Mauritius and almost went extinct in 1991 with a number of only 9 birds recorded.
At this time a species recovery programme was launched by the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation. In 2018 the numbers have risen to almost 500 birds.
The bird is a medium size, measuring up to 30cm long and weighting up to 350 grams. It has a light pink head and neck and a rust coloured tail. The male is more brightly colour than the female. The birds nest in trees and forage on fruits and seeds.
Although the bird has flight, they are not the best fliers and are often found walking. The most famous relative to this bird who unfortunately didn't make it is the Dodo, you can find out more info below.
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EBONY TREES
Technically know as Diospyros Tessellaria, Ebony trees are another endemic species to Mauritius. These trees hold a lot of history on the island.
They used to cover the majority of the island but sadly due to human intervention through logging, introducing non-native species and pollution the trees can now only be found in Black River National Park, private gardens and the Ebony Forest at Chamarel.
The trees have black bark and produce a beautiful dark wood, another reason why so many where cut down is because they were turned into furniture. They are canopy trees and grow up to 20 metres tall. They have long strong roots which keep the trees standing in strong cyclone weather.
The best place to see these trees is the Ebony Forrest in Chamarel. The forest is also home to many endemic bird species such as the Pink Pigeon as well as other wildlife. The link is below.
TROCHETIA
There are 5 species of Trochetia which are all endemic to Mauritius and grow in different places all over the island. The first and most rare is the Trochetia Boutoniana.
It was the declared the National flower of Mauritius in 1992. This flower is endemic to Mauritius and if you want to see it for yourself in the wild, get ready for a hike! This flower can only be found at the top of Le Morne mountain in the South of the island.
It was named after French botanist Louis Bouton. It flowers from June to October and the flowers are red and orange. Its has successfully been introduced to private and public gardens around the island.
All of the Trochetia plants consists of small trees grow 2-8 metres tall. They grow small bell shaped flowers and their colour differentiates their species.
The Trochetia parviflor, is the second most rare, it has pink flowers and was discovered in 1794. Was thought to have gone extinct in 1863 but was rediscovered in 2001 by Mauritian botanists in Corps de Garde and Piton du Fouge.
The other species are Trochetia uniflora, Trochetia triflora and Trochetia blackburniana.
MAURITIUS KESTRAL
The Mauritius Kestrel is found in only one place of Earth, the Island of Mauritius. This relatively small bird of prey has a body length of up to 25cm with a wingspan up to 45cm and can weight up to 300 grams. It has a small rusty colour head, white breast with black spots and a long tail.
In the 1970's the Mauritius Kestrel was the most endangered bird of prey in the world with only 4 known individuals left in the wild. The restoration programmes for this bird is one of the biggest conservation success stories in world with around 800 birds todays.
This particular Kestrel lives mainly in the woodland and forested area's as it's short rounded wings are equipped for hunting in these areas. Like most other Kestrels this one also has the ability to hover in mid air to look for prey before diving down to catch it off tree trunks and the forest floor. Their diet is mainly geckos but they will also catch smaller birds, mice, cockroaches, dragonflies and voles.
These birds do not make nests them selves but choose natural places like caves and now artificial bird boxes put out by biologist, these have massively helped increase the population.
BOIS D’OLIVE TREE
Scientifically known as the Cassine orientalis, but more commonly know at the Bois D'olive tree gets it's name from the small olive shaped fruits that it grows. These fruits are not related to the European olive and are only eaten by the Mauritian Flying Fox (Fruit Bats).
This species are endemic to Mauritius and are sadly endangered due to deforestation by humans, it was popular for it's red coloured wood. The tree now grows in small areas and it used for ecological restoration.
These trees usually grow between 10m and 15m high with some reaching 20m. Their trunks can have a circumferences of up to 90cm.
One unique thing about this tree is it's leaves change shape and size as the tree ages. When in the juvenile phases of life the leaves are shiny and narrow and when the tree reached adulthood the leaves are oval and round.
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MAURITIUS OLIVE WHITE EYE
Known scientifically as the Zosterops chloronothos, but commonly know as the Olive White Eye, is a small bird endemic to Mauritius. This small song bird is now sadly considered critically endangered on the island.
In 1975 there were an estimated 350 pair of these birds with number now under half of this at 100 pairs.
This bird is around 10cm in length and has an olive green head with a pale grey body. It is characterised by the distinct white rings around it's eyes and in French it has been called 'oiseau à lunettes' which means ”bird with glasses”.
Its long thin beak makes it very dependent on native plants producing nectar and it may also eat fruits and insects. One possible reason for the decline might be the introduction of honey bees to the island 300 years ago, introducing competition for nectar.
The Mauritius Wildlife Foundation are going to huge efforts to conserve this species by hand rearing chicks and releasing them on the small island of Ile aux Aigrettes where there are no predators such as rats, cats and monkeys.
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