White-breasted mesite White-breasted mesite The white-breasted mesite ("Mesitornis variegatus") is a ground-dwelling bird endemic to Madagascar. One of three species in the mesite family, Mesitornithidae, it is classified as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). It has a small population and is restricted to five sites in the north and west of the island, and one in the east. The white-breasted mesite is a medium-sized terrestrial bird which is often described as rail-like (a family with which the mesites are sometimes placed). The species has a white face with distinctive facial markings (a white supercilium and dark malar
Higginson Island Higginson Island Higginson Island is a small island in the Arafura Sea lying off the north-eastern coast of Arnhem Land, in the Northern Territory of Australia. It is one of the East Bremer Islets, lying to the north and east of the much larger Bremer Island. The island has been identified by BirdLife International as an Important Bird Area (IBA) because it supports globally significant numbers of bridled (up to 10,000 individuals) and roseate terns (up to 30,000). The 9 ha IBA includes the other East Bremer Islets where the roseate tern colony sometimes relocates, and where large numbers of