Mauritius Fody

The Mauritius fody (Foudia rubra) is a rare species of bird in the weaver family. It is endemic to the island of Mauritius. It is classified by BirdLife International as being endangered. It is also on the United States' Endangered Species List with an endangered status.

The bird lives in several types of forest, including degraded areas, as well as plantations. Stands of Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) have replaced native vegetation and now provide protection against predators. It feeds on insects like grasshoppers, beetle larvae, caterpillars, and also spiders. Berries are eaten regularly by some individuals. It feeds on nectar regularly, using its specialised brush-tipped tongue. The bird is a weaver, the male and female cooperating to weave each nest, from material such as grass, moss and small twigs.

The bird lives in several types of forest, including degraded areas, as well as plantations. Stands of Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) have replaced native vegetation and now provide protection against predators. It feeds on insects like grasshoppers, beetle larvae, caterpillars, and also spiders. Berries are eaten regularly by some individuals. It feeds on nectar regularly, using its specialised brush-tipped tongue. The bird is a weaver, the male and female cooperating to weave each nest, from material such as grass, moss and small twigs.

The Mauritius fody was formally described in 1789 by the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in his revised and expanded edition of Carl Linnaeus's Systema Naturae. He placed it with the buntings in the genus Emberiza and coined the binomial name Emberiza rubra. Gmelin specified the location as the French colony of the Isle de France, now Mauritius. The specific epithet is from Latin ruber meaning "red". Gmelin based his account on a hand-colour engraving by François-Nicolas Martinet that depicted both the male and female birds. The Mauritius fody is now one of eight species placed in the genus Foudia that was introduced in 1850 by the German naturalist Ludwig Reichenbach. The species is monotypic: no subspecies are recognised. This bird is 14 centimetres (5.5 in) long. Breeding males are olive brown with a red head, breast and rump patch and black lores. Females, non-breeding males and juveniles are olive brown with white wing bars and a brown bill.

The Mauritius fody was formally described in 1789 by the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in his revised and expanded edition of Carl Linnaeus's Systema Naturae. He placed it with the buntings in the genus Emberiza and coined the binomial name Emberiza rubra. Gmelin specified the location as the French colony of the Isle de France, now Mauritius. The specific epithet is from Latin ruber meaning "red". Gmelin based his account on a hand-colour engraving by François-Nicolas Martinet that depicted both the male and female birds. The Mauritius fody is now one of eight species placed in the genus Foudia that was introduced in 1850 by the German naturalist Ludwig Reichenbach. The species is monotypic: no subspecies are recognised.