SUB-REGION
Malagasy
SIZE
Mayotte is an archipelago in the western Indian Ocean consisting of a main island, Grande-Terre/Maore, a smaller island, Petite-Terre/Pamanzi, and several islets, with a combined total land area of 374 km²
BIRDS AND BIRDING
SPECIES
Diversity
Avifauna is Malagasy in origin
Approximately 90 recorded species
Endemics (E)
Mayotte Scops Owl (LC)
Mayotte Drongo (VU)
Mayotte White-eye | Chestnut-sided White-eye (LC)
Mayotte Sunbird (LC)
Birds occurring in only two territories of the ABC region but not near-endemics (1/2), including endemic subspecies (ESS)
Comoros Olive Pigeon
Comoros Fody (ESS algondae)
Birds best found in two territories but occurring in more (B2)
Comoros Blue Pigeon
Proposed split not yet accepted by IOC
Comoros Turtle Dove (1/2 comorensis)
Other taxa of interest, including more ESS
Malagasy Palm Swift (griveaudi)
Malagasy Black Swift (mayottensis)
Common Moorhen (pyrrhorrhoa)
Crab-plover
Brown Noddy
Sooty Tern
White-tailed Tropicbird
Lesser Frigatebird
Striated Heron (rhizophorae)
Malagasy Pond Heron
Grey Heron (firasa)
Humblot’s Heron
Frances’s Sparrowhawk (ESS brutus)
Western Barn Owl (hypermetra)
Cuckoo-roller
Malagasy Kingfisher (johannae)
Olive Bee-eater (superciliosus)
Peregrine Falcon (radama)
Malagasy Paradise Flycatcher (ESS pretiosa)
Malagasy Bulbul
Malagasy White-eye
Introduced species
Rock Dove
Common Myna
House Sparrow
MAIN HABITATS
Indigenous forest, islets
BIRD AREAS
Comoro Islands Endemic Bird Area
5 Important Bird Areas
BIRDING SITES
Pic Combani and Mayotte Botanical Gardens for endemics
TIMING (Sep–Nov)
Best at the start of the rains, when most birds breed (Aug–Nov)
Avoid the cyclone season (Dec–Apr)
RESOURCES
Field guides
Birds of Madagascar and the Indian Ocean Islands by Frank Hawkins, Roger Safford & Adrian Skerrett (2015)
A Photographic Guide to the Birds of the Indian Ocean Islands/Guide Photographique des Oiseaux des Îles de l’Océan Indien by Ian Sinclair, Olivier Langrand & Fanja Andriamialisoa (2006)
Sounds
Guide Sonore des Oiseaux Nicheurs des Comores/Sound Guide to the Breeding Birds of the Comoros by Marc Herremans
Oiseaux de Madagascar, Mayotte, Comores, Seychelles, Reunion, Maurice/Bird Sounds of Madagascar, Mayotte, Comoros, Seychelles, Reunion, Mauritius by Pierre Huguet & Claude Chappuis
Further reading
The Birds of Africa Volume VIII: the Malagasy Region by Roger Safford & Frank Hawkins (2013)
Actualisation de la Liste des Espèces d’Oiseaux Recensées à Mayotte by A Laubin, F Jeanne, Mdallah B Ousseni & E Dautrey (2019)
Les Oiseaux de Mayotte by Michel Clément, Philippe de Grissac & Robin Rolland (2008)
Les Oiseaux des Espaces Naturels Remarquables de Mayotte by Gérard Rocamora (2004)
Mayotte by Roger J Safford in Important Bird Areas in Africa and Associated Islands: Priority Sites for Conservation edited by Lincoln D C Fishpool & Michael I Evans (2001)
La Faune Terrestre de Mayotte edited by Michel Louette (1999) includes the names of birds and other animals in Shimaore and local Malgache languages
Les Oiseaux des Comores by Michel Louette (1988)
Birds of the Indian Ocean/Les Oiseaux de l’Océan Indien by Narainsamy Ramen (2022)
Articles in Alauda, Bull. ABC, etc.
Websites
Mayotte-LIFE BIODIV’OM
Réserve Naturelle Nationale des Forêts de Mayotte
Réserve Naturelle Nationale de l’Îlot M’bouzi
Parc Naturel Marin de Mayotte
Blogs
Naturalistes, Environnement et Patrimoine Mayotte: les Naturalistes de Mayotte
ORGANISATIONS
Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux (LPO) is the BirdLife Partner for Mayotte
Other bird or conservation organisations active in Mayotte include –
Groupe d’Etudes et de Protection des Oiseaux de Mayotte (GEPOMAY)
Naturalistes de Mayotte
Initiative Française pour les Récifs Coralliens (IFRECOR)