The conservation work in Mauritius began as a species orientated program concentrating on a few critically endangered species, including the Mauritius Kestrel and the Pink Pigeon.
The phenomenon that effective population sizes as low as 4-5 can be tolerated without pronounced inbreeding depression is also known from other small-island birds, such as Petroica traversi or the Laysan Duck.
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Since 1994, the programme serves only as a safeguard, should some catastrophe befall the wild population, and other rare endemics are now being cared for at the station (such as the Pink Pigeon or the Mauritius Fody).
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Stanley Temple from Cornell University studied this species for two years and the first attempt in 1973 to breed the birds in captivity failed because the hatchling died when the incubator had a breakdown.
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But with the team of Carl Jones (of Mauritius Kestrel and Last Chance to See fame) taking over, a dedicated research and conservation effort was launched to save the birds.