The widow bird
A long black tail.
David Stanley from Nanaimo, Canada — CC BY 2.0 · Photography by Dino Sassi - Marcel Fayon, Photo Eden LTD — Public domain · Hubris.nemesis — CC BY-SA 3.0
A small forest reserve at the heart of La Digue, set up to protect the Seychelles paradise flycatcher, one of the world's rarest birds, which lives mostly on this island. Islanders call it the widow, veuve in French, after the male's long black tail feathers. The male is glossy blue-black with a long tail trailing behind, and the female is chestnut-brown with a black head. The birds nest in big takamaka and Indian almond trees near the marshes, where they find the insects they feed on. The reserve has a small information centre and short shaded trails between the trees and marshes, and you can join a guided walk that helps you spot the birds. Early morning and late afternoon are the best times to see them. The fee is SCR 150 unguided or SCR 200 with a guide, and the reserve opens weekdays from 8 am to 4 pm and Saturdays from 9 am to 3 pm, per the parks authority.
A long black tail.
Short and shaded.
The bird's story.
Inland La Digue, about a kilometre from La Passe harbour
Usually early morning and late afternoon; a guided walk helps you spot it.
