Data Zone
Justification of Red List category
This species was formerly found on Mauritius, but the logging of its forest habitat has driven it to extinction. It was last recorded in 1837, and certainly Extinct by 1859.
Population justification
None remain.
Trend justification
This species appeared to have persisted into the 19th century, unlike other Mascarenotus owls. Desjardins reported that it was fairly common even as late as the 1830s, but his 1837 reports were the last, and Clark (1859) specifically wrote that it was extinct in 1859 (Cheke 1987), likely caused by the destruction of the island's forests.
Mascarenotus sauzieri is only known from subfossil bones from Mauritius (Mourer-Chauviré et al. 1994).
Historical reports suggest that the species was forest dependent, with adaptations that suggest it hunted reptiles and small birds (Hume 2017).
Severe deforestation in the 19th century was presumably the primary cause of decline for the species, considering it persisted for many years alongside introduced predators (Hume 2017). Historical accounts suggest the species was also hunted (Clarke 1859).
Text account compilers
Martin, R., Mahood, S., Khwaja, N., Richardson, L., Brooks, T.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Mauritius Owl Mascarenotus sauzieri. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/mauritius-owl-mascarenotus-sauzieri on 22/12/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 22/12/2024.