Subdesert mesite happening in most of its range apart from to the north of Manombo. The birds are also taken by dogs, by hunting, and introduced rats ("Rattus" sp) may also be a problem. In 2002 there was an estimated population 115,000 and it is estimated that numbers are falling. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has classified the conservation status of this bird as ″vulnerable″. Subdesert mesite The subdesert mesite ("Monias benschi") is a ground-dwelling bird endemic to Madagascar. It is one of three species in the mesite family Mesitornithidae, and is restricted in distribution to a small low-land region
Boatswain Bird Island feral cat eradication program, alongside a rat eradication program, to encourage the birds back to the main island. The island has been identified as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International as a breeding site for seabirds. Birds for which the IBA is significant include Madeiran storm petrels (1500 breeding pairs), red-billed tropicbirds (500 pairs), white-tailed tropicbirds (1000 pairs), Ascension frigatebirds (6000 pairs), masked boobies (1300 pairs) and black noddies (5000 pairs). Boatswain Bird Island Boatswain Bird Island, also spelt Boatswainbird Island, is a small island some 270 m off the east coast of Ascension Island in the South