SCIENCE only 20 to 26 parrotscould be locatedduring censuses conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, and SOMEINITIAL EFFECTS Puerto Rican Department of NaturalResources (M. Wilson,pers. comm. Anon. 1989). Whether th•s OFHURRICANE HUGO 50% declinerepresents a real and obviouslycatastrophic loss, or mere- ly dispersalinto uncensused areas, •s ONENDANGERED still unknown.Biologists knew of five wild breedingpairs prior to Hugo,and at leastthree pairs have ANDENDEMIC been subsequently located. One nest had eggsand a secondnest had reproductiveactivity. By the begin- OFWEST INDIAN ningof thiscentury, the localized, traditional nestingareas of the byJ.Christopher Hane3 PuertoRican Parrothad already enhancedsusceptibility of the JosephM. Wunderle,Jr.and speciesto the ravagesof hurricanes IY&yneJ.ArenaIt (Snyderet al. 1987). A small,remnant population of Yellow-shouldered Blackbirds (Agelaiusxanthomus) formerly inhabited the Roosevelt Roads NavalStation and Ceibaregion •n easternPuerto Rico. Only two indi- HURRICANE HUGO, A CATEGORY 4 habitatson all fburislands: uproot- viduals have been observed in this hurricane with sustained winds of ing of treesin windfalls("throw"), area since Hugo. The Roosevelt 140-150 milesper hour and gusts usuallylocalized and confinedto Roads population was already over180 milesper hour,was per- narrowswaths and exposed hillsides, declining,probably from Shiny hapsthe most violent storm ever to treesshorn of crownsand major Cowbird (Molothrus bonariens•s) hit islands of the eastern Caribbean. limbsby highwinds but remaining parasitism,prior to the hurricane The hurricanepassed directly over upright, and defoliation of all (Anon.1989). Habitats of thelarger or near , , leaves, flowers, and fruits. Less populationsof Yellow-shouldered Guadeloupe,and Dominica.Each catastrophicforms of hurricane- Blackbirds in western Puerto Rico of theseislands harbor endangered, induced damage may result in sus- and on Mona Island were unaffect- threatened, or otherwise vulnerable pensionof fruiting and flowering ed by thestorm. Assisted by defoh- speciesof endemicforest birds. We for threeor moreyears in highland ated trees, censuserscounted 203 reporton HurricaneHugo's initial forests(Johnson 1988). However, Puerto Rican Plain Pigeons •mpactsto and consequencesfor due to increasedsunlight now ( Columbainornata wetmorel) after someWest Indian birdsfollowing reaching understories,delayed Hurricane Hugo (Anon. 1989) the storm'slandfalls during mid- floweringand fruitingoccurred at Althoughthis number is similarto September1989 in the eastern higherthan normal levels in Puerto 176 birdscounted in January1989, Caribbean.We summarizedamage Rican mid-level and lowland forests someof the pigeon'smost impor- to each island, contrastHugo's six to eight monthsafter Hugo's tant breedinghabitat at Cidrawas •mpactson birdswith other histori- passage(J.M. Wundede,unpubl.). destroyed.An epizooticdisease, pos- cal hurricanes,and brieflyevaluate On Puerto Rico, Hurricane siblyrelated to floodingfrom the these catastrophicevents with Hugoaffected the populationsor hurricane,subsequently broke out respectto futureconservation strate- habitatof threeendangered birds. andaffected 90 of the 124captive- giesfor islandbirds. Of 47 Puerto Rican Parrots rearedpigeons (Anon. 1989). We notedthe followinggeneral (Amazonavitata) known to existin The small island of Montserrat, formsof initial damageto forest thewild prior to hurricanepassage, home to the endemic Montserrat

234' American B,rds,Summer 1991 Oriole(Icterus oberi ), wasespecially (Faaborg and Arendt 1985). Arendt hurricaneimpact. hard-hit by Hurricane Hugo. (1990) noted similar movements Hurricane Hugo had consider- Exposedridges and hillsides lost as and displacementsby otherspecies ablyless effect on Dominica,where much as 63% of their forest cover, on Montserrat,but fewbird popula- damageconsisted mainly of destruc- and even sheltered ravines were still tionsappeared to havedeclined. tion to banana crops and some 30-40% defoliated three months The endemicGuadeloupe Wood- coastal erosion on the island's afterhurricane impact. Refoliation pecker(Melanerpes herminieri ), is Atlantic coastline. That Dominica on upper slopeshad not com- the only speciesof the family was sparedHugo's more violent menced even after seven months Picidae in the . destructionof neighboringislands is (Arendt 1990). Haney observeda Although comparativelylittle is especiallyfortunate becausethe singleoriole in a ravinenear wood- known about its biology, the 1979 hurricanes (David and lands in late December 1989, and GuadeloupeWoodpecker was not Frederick) causedthe most severe residentsreported a few additional thought to be threatenedbefore damageever reported for island s•ghtingsof thespecies immediately Hurricane Hugo struckthe island forests (Johnson 1988). Morne after the hurricane. On December (Johnson1988). Guadeloupe actu- Trois Pitohs National Park lost near- 31, 1989, no oriolesor any other ally consistsof two narrowly-sepa-ly all of its trees(Guarnaccia 1989) Nrds could be located in the dwarf rated islands: The western island Bothof theisland's endemic parrots forest of the South Soufriere Hills. (BasseTerre) is more mountainous suffered dramatic declines because Many forest-dwellingbirds seemed and its wet forestsare the principal of the hurricanes.The Imperial scarceduring Haney's two-day visit habitat of the woodpecker(Short Parrot (Amazona imperialis), to Montserrat:the Purple-throated1974). BasseTerre's 14,600 hectares Dominica's national , became Carib(Eulampisjugularis), Trembler of rainforest and lower montane extirpatedfrom southern Dominica, ( Cinclocerthiaruficauda), Forest rainforestwere heavily damaged by its stronghold,and its population Thrush ( Cichlherminia lher- the storm, especiallythe wetter droppedfrom about 200 to an esti- minieri), Antillean forestson east-facingslopes. mated 60 individuals. Both the (Euphonia musica), and Lesser GuadeloupeWoodpeckers were Imperialand Red-neckedparrots AntilleanBullfinch (Loxigilla noctis) censusedon January 21, 1990, (A. arausiaca)are now recovering in were not observed at all. Failure of approximatelyfour monthsafter the moresheltered Dyer/Syndicate floweringplants to recoverimmedi- hurricaneimpact, and eight months Estate and Northern Forest Reserve ately after the hurricanemay have after a similar census conducted regionsof Dominica, areasthat influenced low counts of Green- beforethe hurricaneduring May escapedthe full forceof the 1979 throated Caribs (Sericotesholo- 1989. Haney and five other hurricanes. sericeus) and Antillean Crested observersallotted equivalent time Hurricaneshave acted as agents Hummingbirds ( Orthorhynchusand followed the exact route of the for otherchanges in the avianbio- cristatus)in lowlandareas. May census(Prise d'Eau to the geography of the West Indies. Arendt (1990) observed more Stationde Reserchesde Zoologie, Raffaele(1989) speculatedthat the than100 MontserratOrioles during and along Highway D23 from St. Kitts race of the Puerto Rican an intensivetwo-week survey con- Vernouto PointeNoire). Only four Bullfinch( Loxigillaportoricensis) ducted six months after hurricane GuadeloupeWoodpeckers were wasextirpated, and that the Puerto •mpact.By March1990, orioles had countedalong the routein January RicanFlycatcher (Myiarchus antil- emigratedfrom dwarf forest on comparedto 13 seenin theseareas larum) declinedon PuertoRico fol- upperslopes, and largeconcentra- the previousMay. Part of the wood- lowingthe hurricanesof 1928 and nons were found in regenerating pecker'sdiet is comprisedof fruit, 1932. On the other hand, the forest tracts between 400-800 andcompared to otherwoodpeckers Caribbean (Elaenia meters elevation as well as within it feedsmore by gleaningand prob- martinica) on Montserrat was steep-sidedarroyos (locally called ing thanby tapping(Short 1974). recorded as more common and "ghauts")of interiorfoothills. Most Fruit availability was certainly widespreadfollowing habitat distur- orioleswere paired, and post-hurri- reduced after the storm since the bancesby hurricanes (Arendt 1990). canereproduction was confirmed. A hurricanecaused extensive and very Studiesof bird populationsfollow- habitat generalist,the Montserrat widespreaddamage to foresthabi- ing the passagesof Hurricanes Oriole occurs from coastal, man- tats on Basse Terre. We noted no Gilbert on Jamaicaand Hugo on grove,and dry forestthrough mon- fruitingtrees during January 1990, Puerto Rico will continue. taneforest with highestdensities in and indeedtrees were only begin- Preliminaryresults suggest that dwarf forest above 500 meters ning to refoliatefour monthsafter numbersof forestbirds can actually

Volume 45, Number 2. 235 exhibit local, if only apparent than 50 yearsto regenerateand GUARNACCIA,J. 1989. RARE Center increaseswhen canopy-dwelling regainthe "climax"conditions exist- decisivein saving critical Sisserou habi- speciesmove closerto the forest ing prior to hurricanedestruction tat. RARE CenterNews 1(2):2,8. JOHNSON,T. H. 1988.Biodiversity and floor and upper-elevationspecies (Lugoeta/. 1983). conservation in the Caribbean' move to lowland areas in order to Hurricanescould be particularly profilesof selectedislands. ICBP takeadvantage of denser,less dam- devastatingto populationsof high- Monogr.No. 1. agedvegetation (Wunderle et al. ly-localizedspecies of West Indian KERR,R. A. 1990. Hurricane-drought 1989, Wunderle1990). birdsalready under cumulative pres- link bodes ill for U.S. coast. Science 247: 162. Two separatelines of evidence sure from other factors. Habitat LUGO, A. E., M. APPLEFIELD,D. J. suggesthurricanes might be more preservationalone could prove to be POOL, AND R. B. MCDONALD frequent,intense, or widespreadin an insufficientresponse for preserv- 1983. The impact of Hurricane the WestIndies in comingdecades. ing of arianbiodiversity in theWest David on the forests of Dominica Concernover global climatic change Indies. Because chance events such Can.J. For. Res.13: 201-211. hasprompted modeling its conse- as hurricanesare alreadyknown to RAFFAELE,H. A. 1989.A guideto the birdsof PuertoRico and the Virgin quencesfor the Caribbeanregion. directlyinfluence dynamics of small Islands. 2nd ed. Princeton Umv With an increase of 1.5 ø C in sea populationsof Caribbeanbirds, we Press, Princeton. surfacetemperature, the numberof believe hurricane effects should be SHOP,T, L. L. 1974. Habits of three Caribbeanhurricanes may increase consideredduring evaluationof endemicWest Indian woodpeckers by 40%, and maximumsustained futureconservation strategies. ß (Aves,Picidae). Am. Mus. Novitates 2549: 1-44. wind speedscould increase by 8% SNYDER,N. F. R., J. W. WILEY,AND C. (UNEP 1989).Although not ana- Acknowledgments FranklinMargetson, Carol and Cedric B. KEPLER.1987. The parrotsof lyzedby thesemodels, changes in Luquillo:natural history and conser- the locations of hurricane formation Osburne,personnel in the Forestry vation of the Puerto Rican Parrot Division and Montserrat National West. Found. Vert. Zool., Los and subsequentstorm tracks could Trust, LydiaPulsipher, and Bert and be asimportant as changes in storm Marion Wheelerprovided assistance Angeles. UNEP. 1989.Implications of climatic frequencyand strength.Other cli- and informationon Montserrat.Haney thanksDave Aubrey, Dave Ross, James changein the wider Caribbean matologists,noting a 20-yearcycle region-- preliminaryconclusions of linked to West African rainfall, have Broadus,the sponsorshipof the J.N. Pew,Jr. CharitableTrust, the Marine the taskteam of experts.Prepared alsopredicted more intense Atlantic by: GeorgeMaul, chairmanßUNEP Policy Center'sprogram "Changing Caribbean Environment Pro- hurricanesin the next decade(Kerr Global Processes and Ocean 1990). In any case,the period Conservation," the Coastal Research gramme,Kingston, Jamaica. WUNDERLE,J. M., R. B. WAIDE, AND between 1969-1985 has been Center, and NOAA National Sea Grant D. J. LODGE.1989. The effect of remarkablyquiescent for North CollegeProgram Office, Department of Hurricane Gilbert on the avifauna of Commerce, under Grant No. NA86- Atlantic hurricanes, so some AA-D-SG090, Woods Hole Oceano- Jamaica. [Abstract] American increase in the incidence of devas- graphicInstitution Sea Grant Project Ornithologists'Union Meeting, tatingstorms seems likely. No. R/M-22-PD. The U.Sß Govern- Pittsburg,Pennsylvania. Hurricanesare usually infrequent mentis authorizedto produceand dis- tributereprints for governmentalpur- ß 1990. The effect of Hurricane catastrophic events, typically Hugo on bird populationsin a confined to coastal or marine areas. posesnotwithstanding any copyright notationthat mayappear hereon. This Puerto Rican rain forest. [Abstract] However,terrestrial ecosystems are is WHOI Contribution No. 7450. WilsonOrnithological Society and clearlynot exemptfrom such coastal Associationof Field Ornithologists processesin much of theCaribbean. Literature Cited Meeting,Norton, Massachusetts. The destructive or disruptive ANON.1989. Endangered species in the -MarinePolicy Center, Woods Hole influence of hurricanes on interior wake of HurricaneHugoß Endan- OceanographicInstitution, Woods andmontane forest habitats may be geredSpecies Tech. Bull. 14:3, 6-7. Hole,MA 02543(Haney); Institute ARENDT, W. J. 1990. Impact of of TropicalForestry, Southern causefor specialconcern on smaller HurricaneHugo on the Montserrat ForestExperiment Stations, USDA islands,especially the Lesser Antilles Oriole, other forest birds, and their ForestService, Call Box 25000, which harbor several endemic birds. Rio Piedras,Puerto Rico 00928 habitatßUnpubl. Rept. to WWF- (Wunderle,Arendt). Unlikecontinental areas and larger U.S., RARE Center, Montserrat islands(e.g., Cuba and Hispaniola), Government and National Trust, and USDA Forest Service. smallislands provide little protec- FAABO•,G,J. R. AND W. J. ARENDT. tion andfewer refugia for birdpop- 1985. Wildlife assessments in the ulations during intensestorms. Caribbean. Rio Piedms,Puerto Rico: Island forestsmay require more Instituteof TropicalForestry.

236' American Birds,Summer 1991