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Condor 85:297-304 0 The Cooper Omitholog~cal Society 1983

BIRDS OF THE KIMBE BAY AREA, WEST , PAPUA

MARY LECROY AND W. S. PECKOVER

ABSTRACT. -We report our observations of in the Kimbe Bay area of West New Britain and compare speciesseen with those collected by the Whitney South Sea Expedition (1932) in the same area. We saw and definitely identified 6 1 species,including 44 of the 83 speciesseen or collected previously. Avifaunal changesin the much-disturbed we visited seem to have been minimal, possibly due to the flexibility inherent in the speciesthat were able to colonize New Britain. Birds restricted to undisturbed forest, including many of the endemic speciesof presumably longer residenceon the island, do not appear able to adapt to the disturbed areasand are therefore the vulnerable specieswhen primary forest is destroyed.

We spent the period 11-19 October 1979 in Kamarere (Eucalyptus deglupta) trees grow in the vicinity of Kimbe Bay, West New Britain depressions.Areas of disturbed second-growth (seeFig. I), photographingand observingbirds. vegetation also occur. As the Whitney South Sea Expedition of the Hoskins is surrounded by coconut planta- American Museum of Natural History under tions that date from before the Second World the leadership of William Coultas had collect- War. These areas have planted cocoa as well ed in the same area 1 October to 6 December as considerable underbrush. Both Bialla and 1932, we decided that a comparison of the Hoskins have shore areas and airstrips. specieslists might show if avifaunal changes commensuratewith the ecologicalchanges had PREVIOUS ORNITHOLOGICAL WORK taken place in the past 47 years. All of the Coultas collected from sea level to approxi- information concerningCoultas ’s localities and mately 1,850 m. His collecting altitudes were collection is from his unpublishedfield journal not exact as he often collected over a broad in the Department of Ornithology, American altitudinal range in any one day, usingonly the Museum of Natural History. name of his base camp on the label. In each locality he sampled various habitats including STUDY AREAS gardens and second-growth forest. His two We were at Bialla between 1 l-l 7 October, with helpers, John and Mike James, continued col- three visits to the Balima River, approxi- lecting on the coast while Coultas was in the mately 20 km east; 18-19 October was spent mountains,,but he was dissatisfiedwith their at Hoskins. We saw 62 species;5 other species lack of initiative and fired them when the ex- were questionably identified. pedition again reached Rabaul. Thus they Most of the area around Bialla is planted probably contributed very little to the overall with coconut trees (Cocos nucifera) that date collection, and because they were frequently from before 194 1, have cocoa (Theobroma ca- sent out along the shore to collect, shorebirds cao) planted beneath, and are no longer kept were probably under-represented. clear of undergrowth. More recently, oil palms Coultas’s collecting localities were the fol- ( guineensis)have been planted exten- lowing: Walo was on the coast surrounded by sively. Little undergrowth existsand the palms low, swampy ground with very dense under- are no more than 6 m high. Within and around growth. Mosquitoes were of “arctic density,” the town are small areas of garden, fallow gar- and one had to travel about five miles into the den, and secondgrowth, with a very few patches interior before the land beganto rise. The Nak- of forest in ravines. There is some grassland anai Mountains were about 17 km distant. in the town itself. For some distancefrom Bial- Tarobi was on the coast 8 km west of Walo; la the forest is being rapidly cut for oil palm Pasusuwas also at sealevel, about 4 km inland plantings,and we were unable to visit any areas from Tarobi. Segi(=Sege) was to the south and of undisturbed forest during our stay. eastof Walo at 2 15 m; the soil there was barren The Balima River is a shallow stream with and rocky with grasslandand second growth a broad, gravelly floodplain. The water was low and with no tall forest. in October, exposinglarge areas of gravel where His mountain collecting camps were Malutu [2971 298 MARY LECROY AND W. S. PECKOVER

ACIFIC‘

KIMBE r-7Lake

Altitude . . . .._...... 20(-Jm ______1000 m

BANGULA BAY

FIGURE 1. Map of the Kimbe Bay area, West New Britain, . at 850 m; Lobi, where Coultas collected from growth; the higher forestshad a denser canopy 600 to 1,500 m; Ti at 900 m; Sipa at 750 m; and lessundergrowth. Malutu was 6 to 7.5 km and Lobuki at approximately 1,200 m. Sipa farther inland from Sipa and surrounded by was 17 km from the coast in an area where the virgin forest. Kaiamu, Bagela,and Gaigeki were mountain slopeswere very steep with narrow collecting localities about which no informa- ridges. The lower forests had heavy under- tion was given. We have shown as many of WEST NEW BRITAIN BIRDS 299 these places on Figure 1 as we have been able Charadrius dub&. A male and a female in breeding to find on mans of the area. plumage and a non-breeding individual were seen at the One of the-expedition’s surveys was from Ba11maRiver. hypoleucos.Frequently encounteredsingly along Malutu through Lobuki to Ti and return. Lo- the shore at Bialla and Hoskins and at both airstrips, but buki was below a 1,350 m ridge, beyond which on 19 October many were concentratedin the grassof the all streamsflowed south. At Ti, the last village Hoskins airstrip. of the Nakanai people, the forest was neither Ducula pistrinaria. Coultas reported that this species roostedon offshoreislands, congregated at Tarobi morning rich nor abundant, and birds were scarce.Re- and evening, and flew into the mountains to feed. turning to Malutu from Ti via a different route, Ducula melanochroa.Coultas noted that this fruitpigeon Coultas crosseda ridge at 1,900 m and saw no is especially prone to sit in a treetop and never utter a birds. He did, however, see much moss in the sound. “If one is fortunate enough to catch them feeding, forest at that altitude, although moss forest is the sound of falling fruit will be sufficient indication of their whereabouts.” He found it to be common in the apparently rare in New Britain (Gilliard and mountainforests, LeCroy 1967: 183). Gvmnoahaosalbertisii. Verv common at Bialla at sea Coultas scent one night at Bialla on his wav levei. It fed in trees in gardens-nearhouses and flew over- back to Radaul but coll&ted no specimens.Hk head in flocks of up to- 12. We also saw it in the treetops in second-growthareas. It fed about 12 m up in the same collected 82 speciesof birds and heard Tyto trees with Aplonis metallica. aurantia, recordsthat we have usedas the basis On 16 October three individuals were observed as one for Table 1. The Coultas collection from New Duffed out its breast and buried its bill in its feathers. It Britain has never been reported as a whole but then sidled along the branch toward another and then has served as a basis for numerous papers on sidled back and sat very close to the other bird. We heard no vocalization and the latter two birds flew away. birds. References to Coultas noted that he found this speciesin the moun- most of these papers, by Mayr and others, were tains from 850 to 1,200 m and only where a particular given in Gilliard and LeCroy (1967). tree with purple berries occurred. Orenstein (1976) spent l-3 November 1973 Chalcophapsstephani. Once seen flying up from be- in the Plesyumi area in the eastern foothills of tween oil palms. One other time we saw an individual in a patch of disturbed forest scratching in the leaf litter. the Whiteman Mountains, due south of Hos- Near b y were two snaresabout 3 m apart in an area where kins. He also spent several days at Talasea and the groundwas much scratched,indicating that thesebirds Kimbe and has very kindly provided us with regularly forage in the same areas. a list of his observations (Orenstein, pers. Lorius hypoinochrous.Common. At Hoskins it seemed to prefer eating the blossomsor very tiny fruits (approx- comm.). These recent records from nearby imately 6 mm diameter) of coconut trees. areas have been used in the discussion to sup- Geoffroyusheteroclitus. On 13 October we observed a plement our own. female entering a hole in the dead vertical stump of a limb about 20 m up in a solitary breadfruit (Artocarpusaltilis) OBSERVATIONS tree in a garden. She then began excavating. The nest Table 1 is a complete listing of speciesrecorded entrancehole was large,perhaps-l 50 mm across,and larger than nest entrancesof G. geofloyi on New Guinea. by Coultas and by us. The and En- Scythropsnovaehollandiae. Common in and around glish names follow the list in Peckover and Bialla. In the early morning, just before 5:30, those in the Filewood (1976) except that in a few caseswe roost tree became active. The birds sounded like a herd have used English names from Rand and Gil- ofpigs squealing,fighting and grunting.They beganleaving the tree in ones and twos, croaking hoarsely, and some- liard (1967), Gilliard and LeCroy (1967), or times circling back to land in the tree severaltimes before the A.O. U. Check-list (1982). Here we consid- leaving the area. In the evening they returned to the tree er Henicopernisinfuscata a full species.Below in ones and twos, flying strongly and directly towards the are additional notes on some species. roost. This cuckoo often stood up high on its legs with the Henicopernisinfuscata. At Bialla on 15 October we body horizontal. Once this posture appeared to be asso- watched one of thesebuzzards circling closeoverhead and ciated with an agonisticencounter; one bird assumedthis could see clearly the broadly barred underwing and tail stanceand hoppedtoward another,croaking and with wings and its otherwise all dark underparts. The following day partially extended and held down. It then chasedthe other we saw an individual that was similar in shape but had bird and returned to the tree. underwingsobscurely barred and some very dark barring Twice we saw a Channel-billed Cuckoo and a crow to- on the abdomen. It may have been this species,but such gether. The crow was not chasingthe cuckoo, rather the a plumage has not been described. two birds circled together several times before separating. Haliastur indus. Common, in contrast to other falcon- Father 0. Meyer (1933) found what was perhapsan egg iforms. One was attacked by a pair of SpangledDrongos, of this speciesin the nest of a crow. It was dirty, earth one of which flew off with a feather in its beak. yellow with gray and brown-gray spots. He found these Pandion haliaetus.At Bialla, Osprey were nesting in a cuckooscommon and obvious during the breeding season high fork of a solitary dead tree about 400 m from the of the crows in the northwest season(November to April), shore. indicating that they breed on New Britain. The species Pluvialisdominica. Common on the Bialla and Hoskins may, however, be nomadic as Coultas neither collected it airstrips. Once we saw approximately 100 of theseplovers nor mentioned its presence. on the Bialla strip. This specieshas probably become more Centropusviolaceus. Coultas found a nest with hatching numerousin New Britain, as it has in New Guinea, owing eggsin late November. The nest was “similar to that of to the increasein airstrips. the American Crow,” and was in the top of a tall tree. We 300 MARY LECROY AND W. S. PECKOVER

TABLE 1. Bird speciesknown from the Bangula Bay area and Hoskins, West New Britain.

COUllEiS LeCroyand Peckover Casuariusbennetti, Little Cassowary W* - Egretta sacra, Eastern Reef W - Nycticoraxcaledonicus, Nankeen - B Avicedasubcristata, Crested Hawk W, L B, BR Henicopernisinfiscata, New Britain Buzzard M B Accipiternovaehollandiae, Grey Goshawk N, T B Accipiterbrachyurus, New Britain Sparrowhawk N - Haliastur indus,Brahminy Kite - B, BR Pandion haliaetus,Osprey W B Megapodiusfrevcinet, Scrubfowl W, T - Co&nix chine&is, King Quail K - Rallus insignis,Pink-legged Rail M, W - Poliolimnas cinereus,White-browed Crake W - Amaurornis olivaceus,Rufous-tailed Bushhen M - Pluvialis dominica, Lesser Golden-Plover W B, H Charadriusdubius, Little Ringed Plover - BR Numeniusphaeopus, Whimbrel W B Numenius minutus,Little Whimbrel - B Tringa hypoleucos,Common W B, H megala, Swinhoe’s Snipe W BR(?), H acuminata, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper - B Calidris ruficollis,Rufous-necked Stint - BR Burhinus neglectus,Beach Stonecurlew W - Sterna hirundo, Common Tern - H Sterna dougallii, Roseate Tern W, T - Sterna sumatrana, Black-naped Tern - H Sterna beraii. Greater Crested Tern T BR, H Ptilinopusmsolitus,Harnessed Fruitdove N, W B Ptilinopus rivoli, White-breasted Fruitdove N, W - Ducula rubricera,Red-knobbed Fruitpigeon L, T - Ducula spilorrhoa,Torres Strait Pigeon L, T B Ducula pistrinaria, Gray Imperial Pigeon P, T - Duculajinschii, Bar-tailed Fruitpigeon N, W B Ducula melanochroa,Blue-black Fruitpigeon L, M, Si, Ti - Gymnophapsalbertisii, Bare-eyed Pigeon N B Macropygia amboinensis,Brown Cuckoodove L B Macropygia nigrirostris,Rusty Cuckoodove - B Reinwardtoenabrowni, Black-and-White Cuckoodove BB - Chalcophapsstephani, Stephan ’s Ground-Dove W. T B Gallicolumbabeccarii, Gray-bibbed Ground-Dove BB - Gallicolumbajobiensis, White-bibbed Ground-Dove L - Henicophapsfoersteri, Foerster’s Bronzewing Pigeon BB - Trichoglossushaematodus, Rainbow Lorikeet K, S, T, W B Lorius hypoinochrous,Purple-bellied Lot-y T, W B, H Charmosynarubrigularis, Red-chinned Lorikeet T - Charmosynaplacentis, Red-flanked Lorikeet ;, T, W H Cacatua ophthalmica,Blue-eyed Cockatoo - B Micropsittapusio, Buff-faced Pygmyparrot BB, T, W - Geoffroyusheteroclitus. Singing Parrot S, T, W B Eclectusroratus, Eclectus Parrot T, W B, H Cacomantisvariolosus, Brush Cuckoo T - Scythropsnovaehollandiae, Channel-billed Cuckoo - B Centropusviolaceus, Bare-eyed Coucal Ba, L, M B Centrovusateralbus. White-necked Coucal M B Tyto aurantia, Golden Ti - odiosa,New Britain Boobook L - Caprimulgusmacrurus, Large-tailed Nightjar BB. W B Hemiprocnemystacea, Moustached Treeswift L, S, T, W B escujenta,Glossy - B Collocalia vanikorensis.Uniform Swiftlet - B Collocaliaspodiopygia, White-rumped Swiftlet - B Alcedoatthis, Common P, T, W BR Alcvonem&la. Little Kinafisher BB - Ceyx lep>dus,Dwarf King&her S T B Halcyon albonotata,White-marked Kingfisher N, S BR Halcyon sancta, L B Halcyon chloris, Ba, N, L, T, W BR Halcyon saurophaga, W - WEST NEW BRITAIN BIRDS 301

TABLE 1. Continued.

COIJktS LeCroy and Peckover

Tanysipteru sylvia, White-tailed S, T, W - Eurystomus orientalis, Dollar Bird Ti - Aceros plicatus, Papuan Hombill - B erythrogaster, Blue-breastedPitta N, W - Lalage leucomela, Varied Triller T B, BR Coracina papuensis, White-bellied Cuckooshrike L, M, Si B Coracina lineata, Yellow-eyed Cuckooshrike BB, L - Coracina tenuirostris, Cicada Bird BB, L, M - Saxicola caprata, Pied Chat L - Ortygocichlu rubiginosa, Rufous-faced Thicket Warbler BB, M - Rhipidura dahli, New Britain Rufous Fantail M - Rhipidura leucophrys, Willie Wagtail P, W B, BR, H Rhipidura rufiventris, White-throated Fantail - B Monarcha verticalis. Bismarck Pied Monarch G, S, T, W Myiagru alecto, Shining Monarch T H Myiagra hebetior, Lesser Shining Monarch S, T, W B Pachycephala pectoralis, Golden Whistler L, S, T, W B Artamus insignis, White-backed Wood-swallow L, Ti - Aplonis cantoroides, Singing Starling L - Aplonis metallica, Colonial Starling L, W B, H Mino dumonti, Orange-facedMynah W B, H Dicrurus hottentottus, SpangledDrongo L, M B, BR Corvus orru, Australian Crow L B, BR, H Nectarinia jugularis, Yellow-bellied Sunbird T, W B, BR, H Nectarinia sericea, Black Sunbird - B, BR erythromelas, Red-headed Black Si - Myzomela cruentata, Red Honeyeater N - Myzomela eques, Gray Honeyeater T, W B, BR Philemon novaeguineae, Leatherhead L B, H Dicaeum eximium, Beautiful Flowerpecker M B Zosterops hypoxantha, Black-headedWhite-eye L, M B Lonchura melaena, Buff-bellied Black Mannikin K L -

* B = Bialla. Ba = Bagela, BB = Bangula Bay, BR = Balima River, G = Galgekl, H = Hoskins, K = Kaiamu, L = Lobi, M = Malutu. N = Nakanai Moun- tams, P = Pasusu. S = Sege, SI = &pa, T = Tarobi, Ti = Ti, W = Wale. saw the speciesat Bialla up high in the trees in a forest it regularly at Bialla, the only bird to sit on the electric patch. The white flesh around the eye and the whitish feet light wires. Solitary, and when a secondbird landed nearby showedclearly. The bird gave a deep hollow “boop” about the first bird reared back, opened its wings halfway and every 5 to 10 s and sometimes a “boop-hoop” with the flapped them, giving a short rattling call. second syllable higher. Halcyon chloris. Photographedat the Balima River. Wing Centropus ateralbus. Common at Hoskins where it was 113 mm, tail 70, exposedbill 45, tarsus 18, weight 67 g. very noticeable in the coconut trees, walking up the mid- Not molting. ribs of hanging coconut fronds, uttering soft chucking Eurystomus orientalis. Coultas saw a flock of five Dollar sounds, or gleaning in and around the coconuts and the Birds at Ti and collected one. They were of the resident center of the tree. This coucal was also prominent in the New Britain subspeciescrussirostris; the widespread mi- undergrowth of the overgrown coconut plantations. grant racepacificus has not been collectedon New Britain. Hemiprocne mystacea. Common at Bialla, where it was Aceros plicatus. Very common at Bialla, where once at nesting. We saw it for high in the air, 5:30 we counted 45 flying inland toward an area of cut- particularly early and late in the day, but just before dark over forest. thesetreeswifts hawk only a meter or two above the grass, L&age leucomela. Seenfeeding both by sallyingout after with a rapid, fluttering flight without the tail spread. The insectsfrom the tips of limbs in tall trees and by gleaning call was a high-pitched “scree.” in the outer branchesof trees. We saw two nests, both very high in solitary dead trees Rhipidura leucophrys. We saw two active nests, both in gardens,one on a horizontal limb with a loose piece of over salt water. One was on a partially submerged log bark hanging below the sitting bird, and the other on the about 100 m from shore and only about 2 ft above the end of an almost vertical branch. water; the other was on the top of a stick protruding from Collocalia esculenta. Not common, but we saw it three the water near shore. times with a flock of C. spodiopygia. Rhipidura rujiventris. Twice we netted apparent pairs at Collocalia vanikorensis. We positively identified this Bialla. The weightsvaried from 13.5-l 7 g. One individual swiftlet once in a flock of C. spodiopygia. was in heavy molt and two others showedlight body molt. Collocalia spodiopygia. The common swiftlet at Bialla, Myiugru hebetior. We photographed an immature at swirling slowly over the roadsand the grass,often no more Bialla on 17 October. Wing 8 1 mm, tail 66, exposed bill than 3 m up. 17.5, tarsus20, weight 17 g. Iris dark brown; inside mouth Ceyx lepidus. Photographed at Bialla. Wing, 62 mm; orange;lower mandible black; upper mandible steel blue tail, 25; exposed bill, 35; tarsus, 1 1.5; weight, 23 g. with black around nostrils,tip, and cutting edge;feet black. Halcyon sancta. Coultas collected this specieson 3 De- No molt. When the head feathers were raised there was a cember and was “convinced that a few individuals of this slight crest. migrant speciesremain all of the year around.” We saw Puchycephalu pectoralis. Not common at Bialla. A net- 302 MARY LECROY AND W. S. PECKOVER ted female weighed 22.5 g, was not molting, and had the throat, almost certainly this species,flying over the Balima ovary enlarged. We did not see the Black-tailed Whistler River. (P. melanura). Ducula rubricera.We saw what was probably this species Aplonis metallica. There was constant chattering and at Bialla. movement in and out of an active nest tree of this species at Bialla. One bird usually attended each nest opening, frequently displaying by flapping its wings. Individuals DISCUSSION were seen feeding on cauliflorousorange fruits and young We report a total of 100 speciesfor the Kimbe were fed both by regurgitationand by food carried in the bill. These birds were very acrobatic when feeding, often Bay area, 44 of which were seen and/or col- hangingupaide down. lected by Coultas and by us. Most of thesehave When a hawk (an immature ) appeared near adapted well to human presence, occurring the nest tree, the starlings“fell” out of the tree; the hawk either on the airstrips, in the towns and gar- disappearedinto the tree and remained out of sight. It is not unusual for a to frequent a nesting tree dens, or in coconut trees. Exceptions to this on New Guinea (pers. observ.). are speciesthat we saw only in patchesof dis- Dicrurushottentottus. An active nest seenon 13 October turbed forest, and then not commonly: Heni- was a cup of vines or sticks on a steeply sloping limb in copernisinfiscata, Accipiter novaehollandiae, the lower branches of a very tall Kamarere tree near the DuculaJinschi, Chalcophapsstephani, Centro- Balima River. Corvusorru. Very common at Bialla, where they were pus violaceus,Alcedo atthis (along forested riv- active and noisy at 5:30. At dusk they congregatedin erbanks), Halcyon chloris, Halcyon albonota- groups of 50 to 75 in the dead top of a tall tree by the ta, Pachycephala pectoralis, Dicrurus shore. They remained for about 13 min, circling noisily hottentottus,and Myzomela eques. in small groupsaround the tree, before leaving a few at a time until the tree was empty. At Hoskins about 100 crows We daily walked through and alongside the roosted on the paved airstrip; just as it became dark they oil palm plantations and the only bird we saw were mostly quiet, but with noisy periods. was Chalcophapsstephani, once. An uniden- At dusk on Balima River gravel, a silent group of at tified hawk flew up from the road through the least 12 crowswere bathing, flying about actively and land- plantation once and we heard a third, uniden- ing in the Kamarere trees-on-the opposite shore. When a crow gives its high-Ditched “caw.” the front of tified, speciesonce. Oil palm monoculture is the folded wing presses against the bird’s side as though a recent addition to the landscape, the trees squeezingout the sound. When cawing in flight, the wings having been introduced from . At pres- are closed slightly and the bird glides. ent theseplantations are an ornithological des- Nectariniasericea. At Bialla a display between two fe- males lasted for several minutes. They sat about 200 mm ert and it will be interesting to see whether apart in a patch of ginger and small trees, one on a nearly local birds adapt to them. Coconuts, however, vertical tiny limb and the other on a horizontal limb. Both have been grown here for a long time (and may birds flicked their wings rapidly and sharply, and they be endemic to the area; Paijmans 1976), and bowed towards each other repeatedly with their heads these plantations commonly have parrots, turning in opposite directions and alternating each time, chittering all the while. One drove the other slowly back- White-necked Coucals, crows, and Yellow- wards, both still displaying, until they had moved about bellied Sunbirds. Moreover, the unusually a foot. When two males appeared,there was much chasing heavy undergrowth in the coconuts of the and all four birds flew away. Kimbe Bay area was attractive to numerous Myzomela eques.Two netted birds weighed 14.5 and 16.5 g. small . Philemon novaeguineae.One seen sitting on a globular Our finding Gymnophaps albertisii to be nest of vines and/or grass suspended from the outer common in garden trees and flying over Bialla branchesof a tree and concealedby leaves. One call was wasthe most surprisingobservation of our stay. recorded as a “thong.” The presence of these pigeons was probably Lonchura melaena. Coultas collected this mannikin in a small patch of grasslandnot over 5 m2 on the moun- dependent on the fruiting of the trees in which tainside at 1,200 m. Ken Francis told us that finches in- they were feeding. This specieswas formerly habited the grass at Bialla at certain seasons,but none considered a mountain bird and has been re- were present during our stay. ported at, or near, sea level only rarely (Rand We were uncertain of the identity of the following five speciesand have omitted them from the analysis: and Gilliard 1967). Recently, more frequent Tringa sp. Either incanaor brevipeswas seen along the sightings of these birds at sea level in New Balima River. Guinea and the Solomons (Diamond, pers. Chlidonias hybrida. An adult tern in non-breeding comm.; Clapp 1979) and our observations at plumage,the size of S. hirundobut without a deeply forked Bialla indicate that their movements are reg- tail, was seen flying up the Balima River on 13 October. Cacomantiscastaneiventris. A cuckooseen from the back ular, the birds descendingto sea level to feed was about the size of C. variolosusbut had the tail barred at certain seasons,and that they are not “ob- brown and black, without any white visible on the feather ligately montane” as suggestedby Mayr and edges;the central tail feathers all black, a gray head and Diamond (1976). gray-brown wings and back; and yellow around the eye. C. castaneiventrishas not been collected on New Britain Most collectors and observers in New Brit- and its presenceneeds to be confirmed. ain have commented on the scarcity of small Hirundo tahitica. We briefly saw a swallow with a dark birds in the undergrowth, and our own expe- WEST NEW BRITAIN BIRDS 303

rience is similar. This scarcity tended to be and Nectarinia sericea are all common to confirmed by our netting results, with an av- abundant widespread speciesand easily seen. erage per net often less than one bird per day, Coultas collected them elsewhere both before compared to similar second-growthhabitat on and after his stay in the Bangula Bay area. It mainland New Guinea with an average of three would have been uncharacteristic of Coultas to four birds per day per net (pers. observ.). not to collect a record specimen, as he did for This is higher than the number of birds per other common speciesin this area and else- net day obtained by Diamond (1970; Table 1) where, and he did not mention these species in coastal lowland rainforest but follows the in his notes. We neverthelessconclude that he pattern of lower net yields in similar chose to overlook them, as alternative expla- on islands than on the mainland of New nations seem unlikely. These speciesare prob- Guinea. We did not encounter the small flocks ably more common and evident in the cur- of mixed speciesreported by Orenstein (1976). rently large open spacesof Bialla and during This may be a seasonal phenomenon, but it the dry season.Orenstein (1976, pers. comm.) may also be a matter of altitude as Orenstein did not find 8 of these 17 species,which im- (pers. comm.) told us that he did not encounter plies that a seasonalelement may be impor- the mixed flocks at sea level. tant. Coultas collected specimens of 38 species Beehler (1978) studied avifaunal changesin and heard one (Tyto aurantia) that we did not the Wau Valley on New Guinea over a period see.Twenty-one of these are either birds of the of 44 years. He found evidence that six species higher forest (Accipiter brachyurus, Ducula had moved into the disturbed habitats during melanochroa, Charmosyna rubrigularis, those years and that eight other species had Rhipidura dahli, and Myzomela cruentata) or probably colonized the area from outside dur- secretive birds confined to heavy forest or for- ing the 10 years between the original discovery ested swamp (Casuarius bennetti, Rallus in- of gold and the first ornithological survey. In signis, Poliolimnas cinereus,Amaurornis oli- contrast,we have no compellingreason to think vaceus, Ptilinopus rivoli, Ducula rubricera, that any specieshas colonized the Kimbe Bay Reinwardtoena browni, Henicophapsfoersteri, area since Coultas collected. While there was Gallicolumba beccarii, G. jobiensis, Tyto au- no coconut monoculture before his visit, there rantia, Ninox odiosa, Tanysiptera Sylvia, Pitta was disturbed habitat (native gardensand sec- erythrogaster,Coracina tenuirostris, and Or- ond growth) and some natural grasslandareas tygocichla rubiginosa). The remainder are on rocky soil. common birds that might have been expected New Britain birds have been able to colonize in the areas we visited but were for the most over water and in some caseseither to expand part probably either thinly distributed or of their altitudinal ranges-and perhaps their local or seasonaloccurrence. October 1932 and ecological tolerances as well-or to shift sea- October 1979 differed markedly in climatic sonally. This capability has been a great ad- conditions. Coultas visited during the rainy vantage to them in areaswhere lowland forests season,whereas the rains had not yet begun at are being removed at a tremendous rate. With the time of our visit, the dry seasonbeing much human alteration of the environment, some of prolonged. them have perhaps even increased in abun- We see no reason to believe that any of the dance (e.g., the 11 common species listed 39 speciesrecorded by Coultas but not by us above). This situation may continue, however, has become extinct in the area; seven of these only so long as patchesof secondgrowth forest specieswere recently seen or heard by Oren- remain, for few species have adapted to co- stein (1976, pers. comm.). The differencesmay conut monoculture, particularly in well-kept be explained by our short stay, our inability plantations, and none has adapted to the more to visit certain habitats, and by the seasonality recent oil palm plantings. of some species. The birds that seem likely to suffer most More surprising to us were our records of from deforestation are the 2 1 speciesconfined 17 speciesnot collected by Coultas. Four of to heavy forest. Particularly subject to such these were shorebirds and two were terns, effectswould be the New Britain endemicssuch probably of sporadic occurrence along the as Rallus insignis, Reinwardtoena browni, shore. The remaining 11 speciesare harder to Henicophapsfoersteri, Ninox odiosa and Or- explain. caledonicus,Haliastur in- tygocichla rubiginosa. Information on their dus, Macropygia nigrirostris, Cacatua current status is urgently needed. ophthalmica, Scythropsnovaehollandiae, Col- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS localia esculenta, C. vanikorensis,C. spodio- We thank the Wildlife Division of the Government of pygia, Aceros plicatus, Rhipidura rujiventris, Papua New Guinea who gave us every possible encour- 304 MARY LECROY AND W. S. PECKOVER

agement and support. We are also grateful to Ken Francis notated list of the birds of the Whiteman Mountains, for help with lodging and transportation in Bialla, and to New Britain. Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 135:173-2 16. Jared Diamond, Ronald Orenstein, and Bruce Beehler for MAYR, E., AND J. M. DIAMOND. 1976. Birds on islands their comments on an earlier draft of this manuscript. in the sky: Origin of the montane avifauna of northern Melanesia. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 73: 1765-1769. MEYER, 0. 1933. Vogeleier und Nester aus Neubritan- nien, Siidsee. Beitr. Fortpfl.-biol. Vogel 9: 122-146. LITERATURE CITED ORENSTEIN, R. I. 1976. Birds of the Plesyumi area, cen- AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGISTSUNION.’ 1982. Thirty-fourth tral New Britain. Condor 78:370-374. supplement to the American Ornithologists’ Union PAIJMANS, K. [ED.]. 1976. New Guinea vegetation. Aus- Check-listof North American birds. Suppl.Auk 99(3). tralian National Univ. Press, Canberra. BEEHLER,B. 1978. Historical changesin the avifauna of PECKOVER, W. S., AND L. W. C. FILEWOOD. 1976. Birds the Wau Valley, Papua New G&ea. Emu 78:6 l-64. of New Guinea and tropical . A. H. and A. CLAPP.G. E. 1979. Mountain Piaeon Gvmnoohaosal- W. Reed, Sydney. bertisiifeeding on the large druies of ?rytocaria tes- RAND, A. L., AND E. T. GILLIARD. 1967. Handbook of se&e in the Northern Province. Papua New Guinea New Guinea birds. Natural Historv Press. Garden Bird Sot. Newsl. 159:3-5. City, NY. DIAMOND,J. M. 1970. Ecologicalconsequences of island colonization by southwestPacific birds, II. The effect DepartmentofOrnithology, American Museum of Natural of speciesdiversity on total population density. Proc. History, Central Park West at 79th Street,New York, New Natl. Acad. Sci. 67: 1715-l 72 1. York 10024. Addressof secondauthor: I4 Balanda Street, GILLIARD,E. T., AND M. LECROY. 1967. Results of the Jindalee, Queensland4074, Australia. Received 27 Feb- 1958-1959 Gilliard New Britain expedition. 4. An- ruary 1982. Final acceptance30 September 1982.

Condor85:304 0 The CooperOrnithological Society 1983

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

Report of the 1979 Greenland White-fronted Goose Study Japanibis und Japanische Nachtigall als Beispiel zweier Expedition to Eqalungmiut Nun&t, West Greenland.-Ed- Pole im Naturversttindnis der Japaner.-Ulrike Thiede. ited bv A. D. Fox and D. A. Stroud. 1981. Greenland 1982. Mitteilungen Bd. 90, Gesellschaft fiir Natur- und Whitelfronted Goose Study, Aberystwvth. 3 19 D. Paver V6lkerkunde Ostasiense.V., Hamburg. 190 p. Paper cov- cover. E 9.50 postpaid. So&e: NationaiLibrary dfwaies, er. No price given. Source:author, Fliederstr. 2, D 428, Abervstwvth.Dvfed. Wales. U.K. One subsneciesof White- Borken, West Germany. To the Western eye, there appears fro&d Goose (An&r alb&onsflavirostri$ breeds on the to be a discrepancybetween the reputation of Japanese west coast of Greenland and winters in Ireland, Scotland, peopleas nature-loversand their actualattitudes and prac- and Wales. A decline in one of the Welsh populations tices. What does “nature” mean to the Japanese?Thiede, during the 1960’s, coupled with virtual ignorance of the a German zoologist,opens her scholarlyexamination with summer ecology of the geese, motivated an expedition a surveyof the Japaneseview ofnature, asgiven in modern from the University College of Wales. This volume is its European and Japanesewritings. She then addressesthe complete report, including not only all the scientific in- question by way of two birds that have engenderedcon- vestigationsbut also a full narrative of the expedition and trasting human responses: the Japanese Bush-Warbler detailed reports on its logistics,supplies, and equipment. (Cettia diphone)exemplifies the traditional/literary atti- Nearly one-third of the pages are devoted to the studies tude toward birds, while the Crested (Nipponia nip- of the geese:breeding biology, food, , plumage pon) representsthe rural attitude. Both speciesare con- variation, migration, et al. Brief reports treat other breed- sideredfrom scientificas well asliterary and culturalaspects. ing birds, and investigations of , , land ar- The drastic decline of the ibis during the past century has thropods, plants, and meteorology.In total, the document reversed feelings toward it, and this endangered species offers a wealth of new information about the geese and has become an important impetus for nature protection their arctic ecosystem.While the scientific findings carry in Japan. Maps. references. the flag, one may also enjoy the accountof the expedition itself and gain much invaluable advice on provisioning similar ventures. Maps, photographs, charts, drawings, references.