Nature Seychelles - environmental conservation organisation

The SMR was historically recorded on at least seven islands in the Seychelles, and was probably found on all of the larger and medium sized Granitic Islands.  It is very sensitive to the activities of man.  The clearance of forest resulting in loss of habitat, the introduction of alien predators (for example cats depredate adults, and rats and Mynah birds Acridotheres tristis depredate nests) and as the birds became rarer, the collection of specimens for museums resulted in extinction from all islands except Frégate.  A population was introduced to Alphonse where they prevailed until cats were introduced in the 1950s, soon after the population became extinct.

Seychelles Magpie Robin © Steve Hazell

SMR is highly territorial and largely monogamous, long-lived species with estimated adult survival of over 15 years.  It lays a single egg in a well-built nest located in a tree hole or coconut crown and readily adapts to nest-boxes. The female typically does most incubation.  Incubation lasts for around 18 days and a similar period for the nestling period.  Both sexes feed the dependent young in the nest and for around 2-3 months after leaving the nest.  Young birds are poor fliers immediately after leaving the nest and are then most vulnerable to predation.  They spend most time low to the ground well concealed vegetation.  Most young stay within the parental territory until adult moult, which occurs after about a year.

Recovery
Little was done to save the SMR, though its population was declining to near extinction during the 1970s and 1980s.  In 1990, it became so urgent to save this bird from extinction, a recovery programme was implemented to reverse its fatal decline. The population at this time was only 23 birds. The recovery programme was managed by Birdlife International and the RSPB (Birdlife partner in the UK) and supported by the Seychelles Government. The recovery programme implemented conservation measures in parallel with research on the birds. The main measures taken were:

• Habitat creation (clearance of scrub and planting of native trees)
• Supplemental feeding
• Provision of nest-boxes
• Control of mynah birds
• Colour ringing and monitoring of the birds
• Translocation to other islands
• Establishment of new populations

These measures were effective and by the mid-1990s the Frégate population had risen to 40 – 50 birds.  The establishment of additional populations is important to secure the future of the SMR.  Efforts had been made to establish the SMR on other islands since 1978.  Several attempts to introduce the birds to Aride between 1978 and 1996 failed to establish a breeding population. Translocation to Cousin and then Cousine in the mid-1990s by BirdLife International resulted in the successful establishment of small populations. A translocation to Aride was undertaken in 2002 by Nature Seychelles and a small population is establishing.

Saved
The species has been saved from the danger of extinction after a series of intensive conservation efforts by BirdLife International, its partner in Seychelles, Nature Seychelles and collaborating island management. At present, the SMR is surviving on the four islands of Fregate, Cousin, Cousine and Aride. Its population is now about 154 birds.  The Fregate population is still the most important demonstrating the value of larger islands to the security of this species. Its story is one of the world’s greatest conservation success

Future of the Seychelles Magpie Robin
The goal to down list the SMR from ‘Critically Endangered’ to Endangered in the IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Animals has been achieved.  Its conservation status has been improved, however, it is still one of the rarest birds in the world and it is still dependent of the conservation management of the Seychelles Magpie Robin Recovery Team which is coordinated by Nature Seychelles to ensure the future of the species.

Read more on Seychelles Magpie Robin Recovery Team

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