Overview
Reunion Island is one of the three larger islands, along with Mauritius Island and Rodrigues Island, comprising the Mascarene Islands in the Indian Ocean east of Madagascar. Reunion is a Foreign Department of France.
Birds
Notable Species
The White-tailed Tropicbird, (locally known as the Straw Tail), is the emblem of Reunion Island. It's a commonly seen bird nesting along the cliffs and ravines of the island.
According to Avibase[2], there have been in the neighborhood of 96 species reported here. A few of those are endemic, but of those that is only one is known to be breeding.
Reunion is said to have had many more species in the past, but a variety of pressures have combined to reduce many of those to extinction, most notably the Dodo.
Rarities
Species listed in Avibase[2]as rare species on Reunion Island include the White-faced Whistling-Duck, Pectoral Sandpiper, Oriental Pratincole, Brown Skua, Parasitic Jaeger, Lesser Noddy, White-winged Tern, Whiskered Tern, Roseate Tern, White-capped Albatross, Salvin's Albatross, Black-browed Albatross, Sooty Albatross, Wilson's Storm-Petrel, Northern Giant-Petrel, Lesser Frigatebird, Great Frigatebird, Broad-billed Roller, Eleonora's Falcon, Sooty Falcon
Check-list
Birds you can see here include:
Rock Pigeon, Brown Noddy, White-tailed Tropicbird, Wedge-tailed Shearwater, Tropical Shearwater, Reunion Gray White-eye, Common Myna, Reunion Stonechat, Village Weaver, Red Fody, House Sparrow
Other Wildlife
The wildlife of Reunion is evolving as the coral reef, while young, is starting to teem with life as lava flows begin to be inhabited with tropical fish and corals[4]. While birds and lizards are mutating as they have to adapt to the changing conditions of the island.
Some species of bats can be found as can certain species of marine mammals.
Site Information
History and Use
Reunion Island is volcanic in origin and was first settled by French colonists in the 17th century.
Slave laborers and indentured laborers were brought in over the years to work on the plantations, resulting in a large present-day mixed-race population.
Reunion Island has gone through changes in the intervening years much like that of neighboring Mauritius Island and is today a Foreign Department of France maintaining its long association with that country.
Areas of Interest
There are so many possibilities available on Reunion Island that the best avenue to making a good choice might be a visit to the Official Tourism Website[1]of Reunion Island. Much information of a widely varied nature can be found there.
Access and Facilities
Commercial air service to the island is through Roland Garros Reunion Airport (RUN), which is located 7 kilometers/4.3 miles east of Saint-Denis on Reunion Island.
Port facilities for Reunion are located at Pointe des Galets, which is located on the northwestern side of the island.
Consult your preferred travel professional for current, up-to-date travel information.
References
- Encyclopaedia Britannica - Contributor: The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, Article - Reunion, Encyclopaedia Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/place/Reunion , Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc., Published June 26, 2020, Accessed August 17, 2020
- Lepage D. (2020) REUNION Bird Checklist - Avibase - Bird Checklists of the World. Retrieved 17 August 2020
- African Bird Club -
- Wildlife of Reunion Island - Official Tourism Website of Reunion Island
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Reunion Island. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 19 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Reunion_Island
External Links
