Since the end of the year, enthusiasts have observed the presence of the Moussier redstart in the Frontignan vineyards.
Riddle: what is red, rare and what was seen in Frontignan during the holidays? Santa Claus yes, but not only that. For several days, dozens of amateurs have been photographing a very rare bird in France in Frontignan on the banks of the Gardiole: the Moussier’s redstart (phoenicurus moussieri). It was Isabelle Cabirol from Frontignan who discovered it on December 26. Member of the League for the Protection of Birds (LPO) Occitanie, she is part of the Hérault delegation and has been a referent for the Bassin de Thau group for 4 years. Her love of nature encouraged her to get involved in this League and for wildlife.
Discovery of the species
She says: “In winter, I participate in the winter monitoring of common birds (Shoc), which aims to identify and monitor the evolution of populations of common wintering birds. We follow a protocol based on visual and auditory counts of birds from transects, along which we note all the species seen and heard. It was on this occasion that I spotted this passerine that I did not know. I photographed it and after much research in my books. am helped from the internet and sent it to www.faune-france.org (which lists local fauna) which confirmed the identity of this bird.”
Pleasure of admiring it
The information of this exceptional meeting spread very quickly and many people came from far away to admire it. Some from Picardy, who were there last weekend. Ornithologists and amateurs came, as did “bird watchers”, these enlightened amateurs who come to see these rare birds and record them in their list. The Moussier redstart had many spectators, offering themselves to the gazes and cameras, like that of Christopher Stamp, who came from Saint-Guilhem and who magnificently captured the rare bird with his lens.
“It’s a real pleasure to admire it. It flutters, from the shrubs to the vines. At times, we lose it in the tall grass and it reappears to allow us to immortalize it”he marvels.
-What is he doing here?
As for explaining its presence on Hérault soil (the bird has only been observed 3 times in 80 years on French soil), various hypotheses are proposed: global warming (a single degree can do a lot for these small birds) , the proximity of the port of Sète and arrival by boat…
Presentation of this bird
The Moussier’s redstart is a passerine bird of the muscicapidae family. It is endemic to the Atlas Mountains in northwest Africa, where it is found between sea level and 3000 meters above sea level. But in recent years it has been seen, rarely, in Portugal, Greece, Italy and on the island of Malta. A small, stocky passerine bird, the Moussier’s redstart, also formerly called the Moussier’s redstart, takes its name from its rusty-orange underside and rump. It has a black upperparts with a large white wing patch and a white diadem extending from the forehead to the back of the eyes and neck. It frequents rocky hillsides covered with bushes and dry slopes with light forests and scattered trees. It is insectivorous, hunting like flycatchers, carrying out aerial raids when insects pass by and capturing them in flight. It lives alone or in pairs. Not very shy, it frequently perches on the top of bushes, which has made it easier to observe it in recent days in Frontignan.
The many amateurs who met in front of Moussier’s redstart widely discussed the issue. And now, Frontignan adds to its influence, due to its famous muscat, the presence of this Moussier redstart which has caused a lot of talk.
Correspondent Midi Libre: 06 78 75 48 78
France
