Indian house Crow eradication and invasive species surveillance

In the context of this project, Madagascar Fauna and Flora Group (MFG) in collaboration with Association Vahatra and other partners received a grant to eradicate the recently introduced and highly invasive Indian House Crow (Corvus splendens) in the Toamasina area, central eastern coast of Madagascar, as well as other areas the species has turned up on the island. The grant also included advancing different types of research associated with problems imposed on Madagascar’s ecosystems and the Malagasy people by invasive animal species. MFG was responsible for orchestrating the eradication of the Indian House Crow and Vahatra’s interventions focused on scientific aspects associated with the biology, distribution, and zoonotic diseases of the crow and House Sparrows (Passer domesticus) in and around Toamasina. More specifically, scientific research on invasive species included projects conducted by three Master’s students from The University of Antananarivo and working with Vahatra scientists, all of which were presented in 2021. These studies included the presence and absence of Indian House Crows in all major ports on the island and population estimates (by Estelle Raobson Hanitrandrasana); the breeding biology and dietary regime of House Sparrows in the city of Toamasina (by Saholy Raolihanitrasina); and the diet of a quasi-invasive bat species living in human-built structures (by Lomeris Todilahy). As of late 2021, MFG and the project collaborators have removed all of the known House Crows on Madagascar, which is a major accomplishment.

Collaborators

• Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF)
• Madagascar Fauna and Flora Group

Because Madagascar has been an island for tens of millions of years, many of the plants and animals that live there are found nowhere else.