GENERAL NEWS - Brinsea help in the conservation of the Seychelles Magpie Robin

The population of the Seychelles Magpie Robin has reached dangerously low levels to only just over 80 birds across four islands and the species was in critical danger and required immediate action.

This was because during a hotel construction project in 1996 rats were introduced onto Fregate Island, which houses the core population of the bird and through both depredation of fledglings and competition for the Robins’ primary food source (invertebrates) the population again began to go into decline. The decision was made to eradicate the rat population with an aerial application of pellets by helicopter across the island which necessitated the captive holding of the entire Fregate Island Robin population.

Phil Digney, the captive management specialist in charge of this operation contacted Brinsea Products after previous experience with us and both the quality and reliability of the incubators which would be key in such a critical operation.

Brinsea incubators were dispatched to the island and put into use immediately.

A three-day old chick was brought in along with an egg that was 6 days from hatching. A world first was achieved on this project when a Seychelles Magpie Robin was hand-raised and also Robins were bred successfully in captivity both of which had never been done before.

Phil Digney said “It has been a highly successful project thus far with no Robin deaths and captive breeding. It looks like we will release more birds than we brought in!” And Brinsea Products were delighted to participate in such an important and happily successful conservation project to help protect the population of the Seychelles Magpie Robin.

As Phil Digney explained “The Hatchmakers’ role in the project was crucial, without them we would not have been able to hatch and hand-raise these extremely valuable eggs and chicks.”

© Brinsea Products Inc 2006