Results of the reproduction of the Madagascar pond heron for the 2019-2020 season in Mayotte

The results of the last breeding season of the Madagascar pond heron in Mayotte have arrived! A look back at a particularly rich year for the island, which is the second territory in the world to host the reproduction of this bird.

Figures for the year

For the 2019-2020 breeding season, the results show a minimum of 279 pairs. Note that 144 couples were recorded in 2018-2019 and 182 couples in 2017-2018.

Over the 2019-2020 season, the average breeding success is of the order of 0.65 with a total of 180 fledglings compared to 0.93 in 2018-2019 with 135 fledglings. These figures are not necessarily comparable given the evolution of the protocol between the 2 years. The figures will now be comparable over the coming seasons, the protocol being validated and carried out in the same way.

In Madagascar, main species breeding site, final figures for the season are not yet available but according to the local coordinator, the population of Madagascar pond herons should remain stable there, around 400 pairs.
This means that Mayotte would have welcomed this year nearly 40% of breeding pairs of Madagascar pond herons to the two main known breeding sites during the season, a remarkable figure for the island! In this context, the actions to protect this bird in the LIFE BIODIV’OM project are all the more relevant.

To find out more about the actions taken to protect the Madagascar pond heron