The Seychelles Fody or Tok-tok in creole, is less colourful than the introduced relative the Madagascar Fody, and is a species of forests or scrub habitats.
It seems unable to survive alongside black rats and survives today on Cousin, Cousine, Fregate, D’Arros and now Aride, where it translocated successfully in 2001 and Denis, where it was translocated in 2004. It was formerly present on a number of Islands. It has a strong, broad bill and can tackle all sorts of food. On the small seabird islands where it lives, it can eat eggs of birds, especially Fairy Terns. When adult Terns are disturbed, the Fody tips the egg from its branch onto the ground to smash it and then eats it. In the past, when people harvested seabird eggs on these islands, Seychelles Fodies were regarded as a pest. Now, both seabirds and Fodies are protected and they survive easily alongside each other. Tok-toks are very good parents and both parents take care of the chicks and they mate for life. The conservation goal has been to spread the population to new islands and achieve a population of 2,000 adults by 2006. This will allow down listing of the species to near threatened status.
Facts
Scientific name: Foudia sechellarum
Conservation Status; Vulnerable
Population: About 3500 birds
Habitat: Forests and scrub
Nest: Untidy domed structure built from grasses and other plant materials. Two (sometimes one) eggs laid.
Diet: Insects, fruits, seeds and bird eggs
Identification: A small olive brown bird. Males in breeding condition have patches of yellow feathers on the crown and chin.
