Natural history
Only inhabits the native forest of Robinson Crusoe Island, where there are no more than a thousand specimens of this species. It has a notorious sexual dimorphism: male and female are very different. The male has red colorations and the female is white with green.
It nests in clearings within the forest, only in the Juan Fernández luma (Nothomyrcia fernandeziana), where the female builds the nest with mosses, plant remains and spider webs. She also feeds the chicks until they leave the nest.
Conservation
Invasive species are their main threat. Animals such as rats, cats and coatis prey on adults and chicks, while invasive plants such as blackberry and maqui, modify and destroy the native forest they need to survive.
We have led the conservation of this species through the control of invasive plants to be able to improve their reproductive habitat, as well as carried out campaigns for the sterilization of pets and responsible ownership. We have been monitoring the reproductive season for 11 years.
Accomplishments and vision
- We have restored more than 12 hectares of native forest necessary for their nesting.
- 11 years of reproductive monitoring to understand nesting.
- More than 25 people trained in the control of invasive plants and their conservation.
- Soon it will have a conservation plan together with the other land birds of Juan Fernández.
- We will continue to improve their reproductive habitat through a native forest restoration project.
Related Species
Humboldt Penguin
Humboldt Penguin Endemic species of the Humboldt Current, an extraordinarily productive marine ecosystem.Conservation In the 19th century, hundreds...
Wedge-tailed Shearwater
Wedge-tailed Shearwater This oceanic seabird often feeds with tuna schools and serves as an important sign of ocean health in the warm waters of the...
Tufted Puffin
Tufted Puffin An iconic species of the North Pacific, the Tufted Puffin has been declining for several decades throughout much of its...
Wilson’s Phalarope
Wilson’s Phalarope A small and charming migratory shorebird that specializes on saline lake habitats, the Wilson’s phalarope is threatened with...
Cassin’s Auklet
Cassin’s Auklet Experts at diving for small krill and larval fish, these seabirds are vulnerable to changes in ocean temperature and...
Masafuera Rayadito
Masafuera Rayadito It is a poorly known and critically endangered landbird unique to only one island in the worldNatural history Endemic to the...
Black-footed Albatross
Black-footed Albatross A charismatic ambassador for ocean stewardship, this species travels vast distances to forage and encounters many threats...