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Home , Black mamo, Collared mangabey, Hawaiian rail, Kioea, Laysan, Moho (genus)

November 1976 Vol. 1, No. 5

ENDANGERED TECHNICAL BULLETIN

Department of the Interior • U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service • Endangered Species Program, Washington, D.C. 20240

Hawaiian Survey FINAL RULEMAKING LISTS 26 ; Yields Mixed Results RULES ENCOURAGE CAPTIVE BREEDING In the tangled rainforest on the flanks A final rulemaking, scheduled to go Five listed primates are native to Latin of , Fish and Wildlife Service into effect on November 18, lists a total of America. Two are Threatened; three are teams of birdcounters have discovered twenty-six primates (twelve Endangered Endangered—including the cotton-top substantial populations of 's En- and fourteen Threatened) on three conti- marmoset (Saguinus oedipus). dangered akepa (Loxopscoccineacocci- nents. (For complete information on the ^ea) and creeper (Loxops maculata This rulemaking is unique in that it also names, distribution, and status of the mana). contains special provisions designed to twenty-six species, see the accompany- Preliminary results of the three-month encourage captive breeding of the listed ing table on page 3 of the TECHNICAL survey this past summer—the first primates to provide specimens for medi- BULLETIN.) systematic count of forest on the cal research, zoo display, and other (continued on page 4) island of Hawaii—indicate there may be specific purposes. between 4,000 and 8,000 akepa and at Distribution least 1,000 creepers in the rugged upper elevations of Ka'u Forest. Ten of the listed primates are native to The teams were not as fortunate with Asia. One of them, Francois' leaf monkey another Endangered bird, theakiapolaau (Presbytis francoisi), is listed as Endan- (Hemignathus wilsoni). The count fell gered; the rest are Threatened species. below team expectations, totaling just a Eleven species are native to Africa. few hundred. Eight are listed as Endangered, including The io, or Hawaiian hawk (Buteo the (Papio leucophaeus) and the solitarius), is an Endangered bird that (Papio sphinx). The three constitutes the only endemic hawk Threatened species are the throughout the . Some ( gelada), the io were spotted by the census takers; the chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes), and the —SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION hawks were rather uniformly distributed pygmy chimpanzee (Pan paniscus). West African chimpanzee, Threatened and somewhat more common at lower elevations in closed-canopy areas. The highest elevations of the island WPO Assumes Treaty Nations Meet produced sightings of the nene, or Permit Duties Hawaiian goose (Branta sandvicensis). Representatives of 32 member The teams saw two young of this The recently created Federal Wild- nations of the Convention on Interna- Endangered species. life Permit Office (WPO) has assumed tional Trade in Endangered Species The alala, or Hawaiian crow (Corvus licensing responsibilities formerly of Wild Flora and Fauna held their tropicus) was heard but not seen. The held by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife first biennial conference on No- teams heard a total of four alala, but Services' Division of Law Enforce- vember 2-6 in Berne, Switzerland. were not able to make any sightings. It is ment. The U.S. delegation was headed by possible that this Endangered species As of November 15, WPO received Deputy Assistant Secretary of the occurs in the forest areas only as a the authority to issue, modify, sus- Interior Curtis Bohlen. transient. The total number of alala is pended, and revoke permits and The conference focused on such believed to be less than 50. exemptions for import/export of issues as the implementation and The ou (Psittrostra psittacea), once v/ildlife at nondesignated ports, enforcement of Convention restric- found on several islands, is now limited feather import quotas, injurious wild- tions, amendments to the list of to the islands of Hawaii and . The life, Endangered and Threatened species on .the three appendixes to Hawaii survey, however, did not produce species, marine , and mi- the treaty negotiated in 1973, and any sightings; conseouently the ou gratory birds. Direct Inquiries and establishment of uniform import- currently may rank as t^e rarest of the permit applications to U.S. Fish and export documents. island of Hawaii's Endangered forest Wildlife Service, Wildlife Permit Of- A full report on the actions taken at birds. fice, Washington, D.C. 20240. the conference will be published in (continued on page 2) the next issue of the BULLETIN. Condor (continued from page 4) Bird Survey (continued from page 1) to determine the optimum age for release to the wild. Given the comprehensiveness of the this egg as they had been to their Another study plan now being consid- survey, it was felt that there was a slim previous one. Consequently, the period ered is the simulation of a nest/roost chance that the survey teams would of incubation was irregular. On May 29, setting in the wild, together with devel- perhaps come across one of the birds the researchers found the egg broken. opment of a hacking plan similar to that presumed to be extinct on the island of In 1975 the researchers observed used successfully for peregrine falcons Hawaii. These birds include, for exam- some courtship or aggressive interac- (see July 1976 issue of the BULLETIN). ple, the Hawaii oo ( nobilis), tions between adult birds in adjoining greater koa (Pittrostra palmeri), Overview enclosures. Visual barriers were subse- and grosbeak finch (Psittrostra kona). quently installed between the enclosures As of late 1976, the condor program at The teams had no such luck. to curtail this activity. Use of the barriers Patuxent has produced a total of ten may have been a contributing factor in eggs in five years. Six of the eggs have Team Work the successful breeding of two more sets hatched, and four young condors have The survey was performed by two of paired birds later that year. survived. teams headed by J. Michael Scott and Each of the three pairs produced an Including the four young birds, there John L. Sinock, research biologists from egg, and all three eggs hatched. Two are a total of twelve condors now in the Hawaii field station of the Service's chicks survived. In 1976, three eggs were residence at Patuxent. Endangered Species Program. laid, two eggs hatched, and one chick The Critical Factor: Time Each team included three temporary survived. members, all of them graduate students Ten years of work at Patuxent have Third Stage or teachers with the dual qualities of demonstrated that time Is the major being experts on Hawaiian birds and Having successfully solved the prob- constraint on the captive breeding of also being able to work well under lems of caring for the birds and inducing these slow-maturing, long-lived birds. adverse conditions. mating in captivity, the Patuxent re- A decade or more may be needed for Two of the team members were searchers currently are producing stock" the birds to reach maturity and form Tonnie Casey and James Jacobi, who for the experimental introduction of stable pair bonds. Then, after breeding together had discovered a new species captive-bred young to the wild in South has been accomplished, 5-8 more years of , the poo-uli America. However, implementation of may be required for offspring to reach (Melamprosops phaesoma), on the the third stage of the program- the optimum age for release in the wild. island of in 1973. transplantation—is still several years Consequently, the overall time period for The survey teams backpacked into away, in that the condor is a slow- all three stages of the Andean condor Ka'u Forest, spending as much as eight maturing bird. experiment may be as much as 15-20 days at a time in the field before packing As yet, techniques have not been years. out for a few days' rest. When in the field, developed for this third and most Furthermore, according to re- they had to get up at 4 a.m. to start important phase of the program. In the searchers, 5-10 more years may be conducting their prearranged transects. meantime, though, consideration is needed to determine whether or not the The concept of a team survey was being given to a possible field study, released birds can successfully survive developed in collaboration with the using turkey vultures and black vultures, and reproduce in the wild. Hawaii forest bird recovery team. Pre- vious surveys had been conducted by individual Service biologists; such sur- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Region 3, Federal Building, Fort Snel- veys had revealed that one person Washington, D.C. 20240 ling, Twin Cities, MN 55111 (612- working alone in such rugged country 725-3500); Jack Hemphill, Regional could not produce an adequate count. Lynn A. Greenwalt, Director Director: Delbert H. Rasmussen, (202-343-4717) Asst. Regional Director; James M. In addition to counting birds, the two Keith M. Schreiner, Engel, Endangered Species Special- teams also sampled the phenology of Associate Director and Endangered ist. Species Program Manager plants on the island, characterized (343-4646) Region 4, 17 Executive Park Drive, NE, plants, and took samples of . Atlanta, GA 30323 (404-526-4671): Harold J. O'Connor, The teams' interest in mosquitos Endangered Species Category Kenneth E. Black, Regional Coordinator Director; Harold W. Benson, Asst. stemmed from the fact that avian dis- (343-4646) Regional Director; Alex B. eases transmitted by these insects Montgomery, Endangered Species Specialist. (another form of life ,brought to the Clifford E. Ruhr, Endangered Species Region 5, McCormack P.O. and Hawaiian Islands by man) are believed to Program Coordinator (343-7814) Courthouse, Boston MA 01209 (617- be a cause of the decline of Hawaii's Richard Parsons, Chief, Federal 223-2961): Howard Larsen, Regional Wildlife Permit Office (634-1496) honeycreepers. The birds have survived Director; James Shaw, Asst. in the higher elevations, where they are Marshall P. Jones, Editor, Regional Director; Paul Nickerson, TECHNICAL BULLETIN (Office of Endangered Species Specialist. safe from mosquitos and also from Endangered Species) (343-7814) Region 6, P.O. Box 25486, Denver habitat destruction. Federal Center, Denver CO 80225 The large amounts of raw data gath- Regional Offices (303-234-2209); Harvey Willoughby, Regional Director; Charles E. Lane, ered by the survey teams are now being Region 1, P.O. Box 3737, Portland OR Asst. Regional Director; John R. processed by computer. The U.S. Forest 97208 (503-234-3361): R. Kahler Davis, Endangered Species Special- Service has contributed funding for this Martinson, Regional Director; ist. phase of the study. In addition, supplies Edward B. Chamberlain, Asst. Alaska Area, 813 D Street, Anchorage, Regional Director; Philip A. AK 99501 (907-265-4864); Gordon and equipment have been provided by Lehenbauer, Endangered Species W. Watson, Area Director; Henry A. Hawaii's State Division of Forestry and Specialist. Hansen, Endangered Species State Division of Fish and Game. Region 2, P.O. Box 1306, Specialist. A second phase of the field study is Albuquerque, NM 87103 (505-766- 2321): W. O. Nelson, Regional The TECHNICAL BULLETIN is pub- scheduled to be undertaken next spring Director; Robert F. Stephen, Asst. lished monthly by the U.S. Fish and and summer. It will concentrate on the Regional Director; Jack B. Woody, Wildlife Service, Department of the Hamakua forest area on the northeastern Endangered Species Specialist. Interior, Washington, D.C. 20240. coast of the island of Hawaii. This area is three times larger than Ka'u Forest, and very little is known about its bird life. ENDANGERED SPECIES November 1976 TECHNICAL SPECIAL REPORT BULLETIN Birds of Hawaii Department of the Interior • U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service • Endangered Species Program, Washington, D.C. 20240

RECOVERY EFFORT INTENSIFIES TO SAVE HAWAII'S ENDANGERED WILDLIFE In an attempt to reduce infesta- Three individuals alone of the little Honey- But these changes were only a minor eater remained on our arrival; these perished prelude to what happened after the tions of sugarcane plantations, the during a three-day gale that enveloped second colonization of the islands began Indian mongoose was introduced in everything in a cloud of sv/irling sand. two centuries ago. Sea captains seeking 1883. The mongoose did not extermi- —Alexander Wetmore, 1924 to provide their crews with a source of nate the , but it did become a serious fresh meat released cattle and sheep on predator of native ducks and geese. One of the Fish and Wildlife Service's the lush plains. In 1794, one captain got The islands' ecology was further most intensive research and recovery King Kamehameha to proclaim a 10- disrupted by the introduction of more efforts is being conducted in the Ha- year kapu (taboo) on the killing of the than 50 species of birds and , waiian Islands, where much of the native imported animals by the common including deer which were imported for wildlife either has become extinct or is people. The kapu remained in effect hunting. Moreover, in recent years, in danger of . until 1818. By then, the cattle and native forest land has been cleared and Since the islands were first visited by sheep, along with introduced horses, replaced with foreign tree species Europeans some 200 years ago, 23 of goats, and pigs, were multiplying rapidly considered to be of greater timber value. the 67 known species and subspecies of in the absence of diseases and preda- endemic birds—birds that had taken tors. Over the next century, they moved Disaster on Laysan thousands of years to evolve—have into virgin forests, slowly destroying Perhaps the single most dramatic disappeared. Today, 29 of the remaining them and the habitat of native birds. environmental tragedy occurred over a 44 kinds of native endemic birds are When eradication of these feral ani- 20-year period on the Leeward island of classified as Endangered and many are mals finally began in 1921, they num- Laysan, to the northwest of the main bordering on extinction. bered in the hundreds of thousands. islands. There, the mining of Birds are not the only living things According to one report, 10,000 intro- indirectly brought about the extinction str-uggling to survive in Hawaii. The duced mammals were killed every year of three bird species. When the guano islands' only two endemic mammals— from 1921 until 1946 in the forest played out in 1904, the mining manager, the Hawaiian and Hawaiian reserves alone on the island of Hawaii. Captain Max Schlemmer, stayed on and hoary bat—have declined to dangerous- Goats, pigs, and sheep still abound on imported rabbits as a business venture, ly low populations. some of the islands. allowing them to run wild. Plants have also suffered. Approxi- The rats accidentally brought by the The rabbits soon overran the island, mately half of the 1,729 species of Polynesians and later by Western travel- eating almost all the vegetation and native seed plants were proposed earlier ers proliferated. They were believed turning the island into a desert. By 1923, this year for listing as Endangered (see responsible for the extinction of popula- when Laysan was visited by a U.S. September 1976 issue of TECHNICAL tions of the Laysan and , Biological Survey team, the Laysan BULLETIN). The Endangered birds are which had been transplanted to Midway millerbird and the (a unique, ecologically dependent upon native atoll earlier in this century. Rats also are flightless bird), which had both nested plants. believed to be major predators that raid in the tall grass, were gone. Members of the nests of seabirds and forest birds. the survey team took pictures of the last Ecological Upheaval three Laysan honey-eaters just before The plight of Hawaii's wildlife is for the they died in a sand storm, an event most part directly attributable to habita- Birds of Hawaii Chart recorded in writing by team member tion by man—and more recently to the A chart of the known endemic, Alexander Wetmore, who is now with the dramatic growth in the islands' popu- indigenous, and migratory species of Smithsonian Institution. lation. These activities have eliminated Hawaiian birds appears In the center Wetmore and the others had the much of the wetland habitat available pages of this Special Report. unenviable distinction of being among for waterbirds. The information was compiled by the few people ever to witness the Tremendous changes have occurred David B. Marshall, a senior staff extinction of a species in the wild. in the islands' unique ecology since the specialist in the Endangered Species Emphasis on Kauai first Polynesian settlers arrived about Program, and for the first time docu- 1,200 years ago. They brought with ments the current status of native A total of 10 of the 29 Endangered them dogs, pigs, fowl, rats, about two birds. The summary shows the high endemic species of Hawaiian birds dozen kinds of food and fiber plants, proportion of birds that have become occur on the island of Kauai. They plus an unknown number of weeds and extinct and the large number that are include 4 wetlands and 6 forest birds. insects. Large areas were cleared for presently Endangered or Threa- One of the forest birds is the oo, which agriculture, and over the years fires set tened. The chart is intended to now numbers only a few dozen and is either intentionally or accidentally illustrate the critical status of Ha- the last of its kind. Races of oo formerly destroyed thousands of acres of dryland waii's unique avifauna. forests on the leeward slopes. (continued on back page) THE BIRDS OF HAWAII: ENDEMICS, INDIGENOUS, AND MIGRATORY SPECIES Compiled by David B. Marshall, Endangered Species Program Distribution Family/Common Name Scientific Name Status (by island)

ENDEMICS: Eleven families containing 44 species (with subspecies, a total of 67 taxa)

ANATIDAE Nene (Hawaiian goose) Branta sandvicensis Endangered Hawaii, introduced iVIaui Koloa (Hawaiian ducl<) Anas wyvilliana Endangered Originally all main Islands except and Kahooiawe; now Kauai only Laysan ducl< Anas laysanensis Laysan Endangered ACCIPITRIDAE lo (Hawaiian hawk) Buteo solitarius Hawaii Endangered RALLIDAE Laysan rail Porzanula palmeri Extinct Laysan; introduced Midway, where established until release of rats Pennula sandvicensis Extinct Hawaii and Hawaiian gallinuie Gallinula chloropus sandvicensis Endangered Formerly all main islands except and Lanai; now Kauai, , and Molokai Hawaiian coot Fulica americana alai Endangered All main islands except Lanai

RECURVIROSTRIADE Hawaiian stilt Himantopus himantopus itnudseni Endangered Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Maui, Hawaii

STRIGIDAE Pueo (short-eared owl) Asio flammeus sandv\fichensis All main islands

CORVIDAE Alala (Hawaiian crow) Corvus tropicus Endangered Hawaii

TURDIDAE Omao (Hawaiian thrush) Phaeornis obscurus Oahu race P.O. oahensis Extinct Oahu Lanai race P.O. lanaiensis Extinct Lanai Molokai race P.O. rutha Endangered Molokai Kauai race (large Kauai thrush) P.O. myadestina Endangered Kauai Hawaii race P.O. obscurus Hawaii Pualohi (small Kauai thrush) P. palmeri Endangered Kauai

SYLVIIDAE Laysan mlllerbird Acrocephalus famiiiaris Extinct Laysan mlllerbird Acrocephalus kingi Endangered NIhoa

MUSCICAPIDAE Elepaio Chasiempis sandwichensis Kauai race C.s. sciateri Kauai Oahu race C.s. gayi Oahu Hawaii race C.s. sandvi^ichensis Hawaii

MELIPHAGIDAE Kauai oo Moho braccatus Endangered Kauai Oahu 00 Moho apicaiis Extinct Oahu Molokai 00 Moho bishopi Extinct Molokai Hawaii oo Moho nobiiis Extinct Hawaii Chaetoptila angustipiuma Extinct Hawaii

DREPANIDIDAE Amakihl Loxops virens Kauai race L.v. stejnegeri Kauai Oahu race L.v. chloris Oahu Maul, Molokai, Lanai race L.v. wiisoni Maui, Molokai, Lanai Hawaii race L.v. virens Hawaii Anianiau Loxops parva Kauai Greater amakihi Loxops sagittirostris Extinct Hawaii Creeper Loxops maculata Kauai race L.m. bairdi Kauai Oahu race L.m. macuiata Endangered Oahu Molokai race L.m. flammea Endangered Molokai Lanai race L.m. montana Extinct Lanai Maui race L.m. nev/toni Maui Hawaii race L.m. mana Endangered Hawaii Distribution Family/Common Name Scientific Name Status (by island)

Akepa Loxops coccinea Kauai race L.c. caeruleirostris Kauai Oahu race Lc. rufa Extinct Oahu Maui race L.c. ochracea Endangered Maui Hawaii race L.c. coccinea Endangered Hawaii Akialoa Hemignathus obscurus Oahu race H.o. ellisianus Extinct Oahu Lanai race H.o. lanaiensis Extinct Lanai Hawaii race H.o. obscurus Presumed extinct Hawaii Kauai akaloa Hemignathus procerus Endangered Kauai Nukupuu Hemignathus lucidus Kauai race H.i. hanapepe Endangered Kauai Oahu race H.i. lucidus Extinct Oahu Maui race H.i. affinis Endangered Maui Akiapolaau Hemignathus wilsoni Endangered Hawaii Maui parrotbill Pseudonestor xanthophrys Endangered Maui Ou Psittrostra psittacea Endangered Kauai, Hawaii (formerly Oahu, Molokai, Lanai, Maul) Laysan and Nihoa Psittrostra cantans Laysan finch P.O. cantans Endangered Laysan; introduced Midway and Pearl and Hermes Reef, (gone on Midway now because of rats) Nihoa finch P.c. ultima Endangered Nihoa; introduced Palila Psittrostra baiiieui Endangered Hawaii Greater koa finch Psittrostra palmeri Extinct Hawaii Lesser koa finch Psittrostra fiaviceps Extinct Hawaii Grosbeak finch Psittrostra kona Extinct Hawaii Poo-uli Meiamprosops phaesoma Endangered Maul Apapane Himatione sanguinea Apapane H.s. sanguinea All six main islands Laysan H.s. freethii Extinct Laysan Crested honeycreeper Palmeria doiei Endangered Maul, Molokai Ula-ai-hawane Ciridops anna Extinct Hawaii liwi Vestiaria coccinea Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Maui, Hawaii; extirpated Lanai pacifica Extinct Hawaii Black mamo Drepanis funerea Extinct Molokai

INDIGENOUS SPECIES: Eight families containing 23 species'

DIOMEDEIDAE Black-footed ^ Diomedea nigripes ^ Diomedea immutabiiis

PROCELLARIIDAE Wedge-tailed shearwater Puffinus pacificus chiorohynchus Christmas shearwater Puffinis nativitatus Newell's shearwater^ Puffinis puffinus newelli Threatened Dark-rumped petreP Pterodroma phaeopygia sandwichensis Endangered Pterodroma hypoieuca sandwichensis Bulwer's petrel Bulweria bulwerii

HYDROBATIDAE Harcourt's storm petreP Oceanodroma castro cryptoieucura Sooty storm petrel Oceanodroma tristrami

PHAETHONTIDAE White-tailed tropicbird^ Phaethon lepturus dorotheae Red-tailed tropicbird Phaethon rubricauda rothschildi

SULIDAE Blue-faced booby Sula dactylatra personata Sula leucogaster plotus Red-footed booby Sula sula rubripes

FREGATIDAE Fregata minor palmerstoni

LARIDAE Sterna fuscata oahuensis ' Most of these indigenous birds nest either on Leeward Islands or islands Gray-backed tern Sterna lunata offshore from main islands; they feed at sea. Blue-gray noddy Procelsterna cerulea saxatilis ' Nests exclusively in Hawaiian Islands Common noddy (brown noddy) Anous stolidus pileatus ' This subspecies was once listed as Endangered, but was removed on • basis of its not being a valid subspecies by John Aldrich. It could be White-capped noddy Anous tenuitoatria listed as an endangered population. White tern Gygis alba

ARDEIDAE Black-crowned night heron Nycticorax nycticorax hoactii (continued on back page) BIRDS OF HAWAII

REGULAR MIGRANTS: A total of 11 species

Pale-footed shearwater Golden plover Pintail Black-bellied plover American widgeon Ruddy turnstone Shoveler Bristle-thighed curlew Lesser scaup Wandering tattler Sanderling

TOTALS BY MAJOR CATEGORY

Major Category Extinct Endangered Neither Total Endemic Species (occur only in Hawaiian Islands) 15 20 9 44 (Endemic Species and Subspecies) (23) (29) (15) (67) Indigenous Species (occur in Hawaiian Islands and other areas or open ocean) 0 1 22 23 Regular Migrants 0 0 11 11 Introduced and Established Species (approximate number) 0 0 50 50

Total 15 21 92 151

Sources: 1. Andrew J. Berger, Hawaiian BIrdlife (: The University Press of Hawaii) 2. Tonnie L. 0. Casey and James D. Jacobi, "A New and Species of Bird from the Island of Maui, Hawaii. (Passerformes: Drepanididae)." Occasional Papers of Bernice P. , Honolulu, Hawaii, Vol. 24, No. 12, August 2, 1974. 3. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Official List of Endangered Species.

(continued from front page) with the help of Federal and State species have become extinct and 6 of existed on Oahu, Molokai, and Hawaii, agencies and private institutions. the remaining species are Endangered, but all are now presumed to be extinct. The Endangered Species Program has A survey of forest birds conducted this The 00 has puffs of yellow feathers on fielded in Hawaii nine recovery teams summer turned up larger numbers of its sides, which were prized in the early covering 22 Endangered forest birds akepa and creepers than had been days as materials for making helmets and waterbirds. New refuges for Endan- expected. However, the count of the io, and cloaks for Hawaiian chiefs. gered birds have been established, or or Hawaiian hawk, and of the alala, or Hundreds of birds had to be sacrificed are proposed, on the islands of Kauai, Hawaiian crow, was low. It is believed to make a single cloak. Oahu, Maui, Molokai, and Hawaii. In there are less than 50 alala left. The puaiohi, or small Kauai thrush, is addition, the National Park Service is About 20 years ago, the population of found only in Kauai's Alakai Swamp, protecting certain other species in the nene, or Hawaiian goose, had Haleakala National Park on Maui and in declined to less than 100. However, Research and Recovery Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on because of an artificial propagation For the past several years, the Patux- Hawaii, State forests and refuges play a program undertaken by the State Div- ent Wildlife Research Center, in Mary- vital role in protecting habitat. ision of Fish and Game and supported land, has been directing population and A considerable research effort is by the Wildfowl Trust of England, the distribution surveys of Hawaiian bird being concentrated on the island of nene has recovered to the point where life. These surveys are being conducted Hawaii, where 9 of 21 native bird the total population now numbers more than 600. One type of recovery effort involves purchase of key wetlands in order to protect the habitat of certain Endan- gered species. Such purchases have resulted in an improved outlook for the koloa, or Hawaiian du(tk, which now numbers about 3,000, as well as for the Hawaiian coot, the Hawaiian stilt, and the Hawaiian gallinule. The Fish and Wildlife Service is also concerned about the bird species that live on the small islands and atolls that lie to the northwest of the main islands and comprise the Hawaiian Islands National Wildlife Refuge, Current recov- ery efforts, for example, are aimed at preserving the Laysan finch, which survived after the other land birds were wiped out with the vegetation, and the , the numbers of which have fluctuated drastically in recent years. Similar efforts are also being U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service photo. made on behalf of the Nihoa millerbird The Laysan Duck, a fluctuating population and Nihoa finch. Primates (continued from page I) FINAL RULEMAKING ON PRIMATES Special Provisions Taking advantage of the flexibility Listed provided by the Endangered Species Act Common Name Scientific Name Distribution Status of 1973 for management of Threatened species, the rulemaking excludes cap- Asian Primates tive individuals of the fourteen Threat- ened primates from the prohibitions of Francois' leaf monkey Presbytis francoisi Indochina Endangered section 9 of the act. Lesser slow loris Nycticebus pygmaeus Indochina Threatened Tonkin snub-nosed monkey Rhinopithecus avunculus N. Vietnam Threatened Section 9 bans import, export, capture, Stumptail Macaca arctoides Indochina/Malay Threatened killing, harassment, interstate com- Peninsula/India merce, and sale, and offering for sale. Philipine tarsier Tarsius syrichta Philippines Threatened These prohibitions are mandatory for Formosan rock macaque Macaca cyclopis Taiwan Threatened Endangered species and optional for Macaca fuscata Japan Threatened Threatened species. Macaca sinica Threatened As incorporated into the rulemaking, Purple-faced langur Sri Lanka Presbytis senex Threatened this exclusion applies to individual Long-tailed langur Presbytis potenzani Indonesia Threatened animals in captivity on November 18, 1976, their progeny, and Individual African Primates animals legally imported Into the United States after November 18,1976—so long Ceropithecus diana West Africa Endangered as there Is satisfactory documentation of Red-eared nose-spotted monkey Cercopithecus erythrotis Nigeria - Endangered each 's captive status, birth in Red-bellied monkey Cercopithecus erythrogaster Nigeria Endangered captivity, or legal Importation. L'hoest's monkey Cercopithecus ihoesti Cameroon/Nigeria Endangered White-collared Cercocebus torquatus Senegal/Ghana Endangered "Satisfactory documentation" in- Nigeri^Vdabon cludes such evidence as records In the Black colobus Colobus satanas Cameroon^'Quinea Endangered International Species Inventory System Gabon/Zaire (ISIS); Federal, State, or local govern- Mandrill Papio sphinx West Africa Endangered ment permits; and notarized studbooks Drill Papio leucophaeus Cameroon/Nigeria Endangered and inventories. Gelada baboon Theropithecus gelada Ethiopia Threatened Chimpanzee Pan troglodytes West-central Africa Threatened Special Case: Squirrel Monkey Pigmy chimpanzee Pan paniscus Zaire Threatened Data to support the Endangered and Threatened status determinations for Latin American Primates primates were developed In a compre- hensive report prepared under contract •Cotton-top marmoset Saguinus oedipus Panama/Costa Rica Endangered for the Endangered Species Program. Pied tamarin Saguinus bicolor Brazil Endangered The aim of this report was to explore the Yellow-tailed wooly monkey Lagothrix flavicauda Peru Endangered status of each of the world's primates. White-footed tamarin Saguinus leucopus Colombia Threatened Subsequently twenty-seven species Black howler monkey Alouatta pigra Mexico Threatened were proposed for listing (F.R. 4/19/76). However, the final rulemaking omitted one of these species. The squirrel monkey was dropped because a sub- stantial amount of data was received from scientific and medical research Institutions Indicating that this species BOX SCORE OF SPECIES LISTINGS may not qualify for either Endangered or Number of Number of Threatened status. Consequently action Category Endangered Species Threatened Species on the squirrel monkey was deferred to permit detailed evaluation of this new U.S. Foreign Total U.S. Foreign Total Information. Mammals 35 227 262 1 17 18 Birds 65 144 209 1 1 Survey Shows Hawaiian Coots Reptiles 8 46 54 Amphibians 4 9 13 and Stilts Holding Their Own Fishes 30 10 40 4 4 The annual survey of the Hawaiian coot Snails 1 1 (Fulica americanaalai)andthe Hawaiian Clams 22 2 24 stilt (HImantopushimantopus knudseni) Crustaceans Insects 6 6 2 2 shows that each of these Endangered Plants species continues to hold its own. Total 170 439 609 8 17 25 Conducted in August by the Fish and Wildlife Service, the survey yielded 1,976 Number of species currently proposed : 47 animals coots and 1,479 stilts. 1850 plants (approx.) The total for the coot, which is found Number of Critical Habitats proposed: 7 mostly on the Island of Kauai, was 384 Number of Critical Habitats listed: 5 less than for 1975 but over 700 more Number of Recovery Teams appointed : 57 than the nine-year average of 1,253. Number of Recovery Plans approved: 4 Number of Cooperative Agreements signed with States: 15 The total for the stilt, found mostly on the Islands of Oahu and Maui, was 3 more than for last year and about 250 more than the nine-year average of 1,225.

GPO 909-71 0 SECOND STAGE OF CONDOR BREEDING PROGRAM NEARS COMPLETION

The Service's long-term experimental breeding program forthe Andean condor (Vultur gryphus) has progressed to the point where three of the four pairs of adult birds are now breeding. These three pairs have produced four surviving young over the past three years, and the program researchers nowthink it realistic to expect a yield of two-to-four young each year. Inducing the condors to breed suc- cessfully in captivity represents the second stage of the three-stage program being conducted at the Service's Patux- ent Wildlife Research Center, located in Laurel, Md. The program was begun in 1966 as a surrogate research project in support of efforts aimed at recovery of the critically endangered California condor (Gymno- Andean condors in breeding pen at Patuxent U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service photo. gyps californianus). It was decided to focus this project solely on the feasibility of propagation 1971, when the researchers started In the wild, Andean condors reproduce and not to explore the biological prob- pairing the birds reaching adulthood. only every other year. The probable lems relating to the advisability of taking The pairing of the birds was facilitated reason for this slow rate is the lengthy California condors into captivity for by the strong sexual dimorphism of the period of parental care afforded each breeding purposes. species, males being easily distin- offspring. At Patuxent, however, re- The Patuxent researchers conceived guished from females bytheirdistinctive searchers achieved annual reproduction the program as a three-stage undertak- eye color and also their fleshy crest or simply by removing the young from the ing. The three stages were identified as caruncle. parents' enclosure before the onset of follows: The paired birds were placed in the next breeding season. (1) capture of the birds and then their separate, limited-flight enclosures, each This method was first tested when the housing and care in captivity of which was 40 feet square and 17 feet 1973 chick was deliberately left in the (2) inducement of successful breeding high. The enclosures contained elevated enclosure. As the March 1974 breeding while in captivity perches, as well as covered, four-by-six- season approached, however, the par- (3) transplantation of the captivity- foot roost/nest compartments floored ents started pecking at the chick when- reared birds to the wild with a two-inch-thick layer of sand. ever it perched close to them. A few days later, they drove it out of sight into a Second Stage First Stage nesting compartment, where it remained Nine immature birds were captured in Egg laying began the same year, 1971, until eventually removed by the re- the Andean region of Argentina in 1966 when one set of paired birds produced searchers. and 1967. One of these birds died of one fertile egg. This pair also produced A week later, the pair began breeding. aspergillosis and lead poisoning soon an egg in each of the three succeeding On April 25, they produced an egg. after its arrival at Patuxent. years. Their 1973 egg was the first to However, they were not as attentive to The eight other birds survived. They hatch; the result was the program's first were kept in a community pen until surviving chick. (continued on page 2)

ENDANGERED SPECIES TECHNICAL U&M^

BULLETIN POSTAGE AND FEES PAID U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Department of the Interior • U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service • Endangered Species Program, Washington, D.C. 20240