Title: Low productivity in the Critically Endangered Mauritius Olive White-eye <i>Zosterops chloronothos</i>
Abstract: Productivity of the endemic Mauritius Olive White-eye Zosterops chloronothos , the least known of the Mauritian land-bird species, was studied for three consecutive breeding seasons. Fifteen White-eye territories were monitored in 1998–1999 and 1999–2000, and 18 in 2000–2001. Although respectively 67%, 73% and 78% of pairs in these territories exhibited signs of breeding, the annual proportion of pairs that successfully produced a fledgling was found to be extremely low at 7%, 7% and 17% respectively. Only five fledglings were observed during the 3 year period. None of the pairs was observed to have more than one successful nesting episode per season, and no pair produced more than a single fledgling over the 3 years. The extremely low productivity of this declining population is of critical concern. Species-specific conservation management is urgently required for this species.