ß ß that time have been the basis for con- America's unknown avifauna. siderable concern (Vincent, 1967) and indeed appear to be the basis for the the of inclusion of several Mariana birds in the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (1976) list of the Mariana Islands Endangered Species.These brief war- time observationswere important, but no significant investigationshave been conductedin the ensuingthirty yearsto "Probably no otherAmerican birds determine the extent to which the are aspoorly knownas these." endemic avifauna of these islands may haverecovered. Importantly, no assess- mentshave been made of the impactof H. Douglas Pratt, Phillip L. Bruner the military's aerial planting of the exoticscrubby tree known as tangan- and Delwyn G. Berrett tangan, Leucaenaglauca, to promote revegetationafter the war. This 'treeis known as "koa haole" in Hawaii. restricted both in their time for ß ß announcesthe signthat greets observation and in their movements on v•sitors to Guam. Few Americans realize the islands. Their studies were made in authorsURING THEvisitedSUMMER the islandsOF1076the of that the nation's westernmost territories 1945 and 1946 when most of the Mari- Saipan,Tinian, Rota, and Guam, and m he across the International Date Line in anaswere just beginningto recoverfrom 1978 Bruner and Pratt returned to Sai- the far westernPacific. Guam, the larg- the ravagesof war (Baker, 1946).Never- pan and Guam. We havespent a total of est and southernmost of the Mariana theless, population estimates made at 38 man/dayson Saipan,four on Tinian, Islands,has been a United Statesposses- s•on since Spain surrendered her sov- & Agrihan ereigntyover the island at the end of the Sparash-AmericanWar. The rest of the archipelagohas seena successionof for- • Pagan e•gn governments-- Spain, Germany, Japan, and the United States. After • Alamagan World War II, these islandsalong with the Carolines and MarshalIs to the south ßGuguan and east, became the U.S. Trust Ter- ritory of the Pacific Islands under the ß Sarigan auspicesof the United Nations. This w Anatahan pohtical arrangement is scheduledto end m 1981. In a recent plebiscite, the ß Farallon de c•hzens of the Northern Marianas voted Medinilla overwhelminglyto becomepermanently affihated with the U.S. as a common- wealth. Thus a look at the birds of these •slandsand thoseof Guam seemsappro- .•SAIPAN priate. Probably no other American b•rdsare aspoorly known as these. Aguijan.•TINIAN The Marianas form a north-south chainlying aboutmidway between Japan •ROTA and New Guinea. Virtually all inhab- ttants live on the four largest islandsof Guam, Saipan, Tinian, and Rota (Fig. 1) L•ttle hasbeen publishedon the birds of these islands since Gleize (1945), Cocos Downs (1946), Stophlet (1946), Stott (1947), Marshall (1949), and Baker 5O O lOO (1947, 1948, 1951) discussedtheir obser- I .... I I yahohs made near the end of the war. All Miles these writers had been involved with mil- itary activitiesand thus most had been Mariana Islands

Volume33, Number 3 227 six on Rota, and 27 on Guam. In 1975, Murray D. Bruce of Australia visited thesesame islandsbetween April 10 and 18 to observe birds. He has made his field notes available to us, and some of his observationsare incorporatedinto this report. The sameyear, EugeneKrid- let of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service with Robert P. Owen, Chief Conserva- tionist of the Trust Territory, visited Saipan, Tinian, and Guam. They, too, haveshared their findingswith us.

Yaipan

S AIPANISTHE LARGFST and most pop- ulous of the Northern Marianas. Stott (1947) described the topography and vegetation of the island. Since his account,tangan-tangan has becomethe dominant tree over most of Saipan. The island's substrate is of uplifted coralline SuicideCliff and Memorial Marpi, Saipan. Photo /H. D. Pratt. limestone (Gressitt. 1954). Several towns and villagesare scatteredover the island. TinJan Rota but large areas of undeveloped land occurthroughout. The beautifully scenic USTSOUTH OF SAIPANfies TinJan, a R OTAWAS THE LEASTwar-damaged and historically important district of broad and relativelyflat island only of the largerMariana Islands Marpi in the north is virtually uninhab- slightlysmaller than its neighbor.Tinian (Baker, 1946). The native forests are ited. That part of the island was under supporteda large Japanesepopulation much more extensive there than on Sai- military control for many years.but was beforeand duringthe war, and extensive pan. TinJan,or Guam. Tangan-tanganis opened to the public after unexploded clearingof foreststook place. Now the presentbut much lessprevalent than on ordnance and other dangerous debris ruins and airstripsare overgrownwith the other islands.On the plateau in the from the war had been removed. Dom- tangan-tangan.Marshall (1949)described interior of the island, in an area called inating the area is the infamous Suicide the habitats that existed on TinJan in Sabana, extensiveclearing for agricul- Cliff where many Japanesesoldiers and 1945.The Japaneseroad system is still in ture has reduced the native forest to scat- civilians perished rather than face an use today, making most of the island tered remnants. The lowlands are also unknown and possiblydishonorable fate accessibleto visitors. TinJan's approx- cultivated to some extent. but substan- at the hands of the Americans. Human imately 800 residentslive in the commu- tial tracts of forest remain in areas bones, grim reminders of a time many nity of San Josenear its southernend. unsuitablefor farming. About 1500 per- would rather forget. are still being Future plans (Trumbull, 1973) call for sonslive in the town of Songsongsit- recovered from the forests below the cliff the construction of a vast military base uated on a peninsulaat the southwestern (Kiener. 1978). But although the cliffs that will occupymost of the island. tip of the island. are reminiscent of death, the forests are alive with birds. All of Saipan's known indigenousspecies can •be found here. including the recently rediscovered Micronesian Megapode. Megapodius !aperouse (Pratt and Brunet, 1978). On Marpi's easternshore a rocky half-moon bay surroundsBird Island where Brown Boobies. Sula !eucogaster. and Brown Noddies.Anous stolidus, nest. Nearby. an undersea cave fills a pool known as the Blue Grotto where waters swell and recede with the waves and shimmer with green, indigo. and magenta. The shore- line of Marpi exhibits both sheer cliffs and placid beaches.Such scenicvariety in a small area is remarkable and prob- ably unequalledelsewhere in the Marl- anas. Marpi is at present unprotected and the inevitable plans for so-called developmentare under way (Pangelinan and Kapileo, 1971). Tinian with view of Saipan in distance.Photo/H. D. Pratt.

228 AmericanBirds, May 1979 remnants of this originally luxuriant 1978, the situation had deteriorated fur- native forest remain on terraces below ther with nativepasserines missing from the high cliffs that surround the north- many placeswhere we had found good ern end of the island. These areas are numbers two years earlier. Tangan- almost all within the boundaries of tangan has become ubiquitous on Andersen Air Force Base and off-limits Guam, and forms dense thickets. to the public. Pratt was fortunate in Significantly,tangan-tangan thickets being allowed to visit one such area at harbored good populations of native Ritidian Point when it was opened for songbirds as well as kingfishers and hunting of Philippine Turtle Doves, dovesin 1976. Two years later. however. Streptopelia bitorquata, on July 30, we noted striking declines in the three 1978. smallest native birds (a broad-billed The southern two-thirds of the island flycatcher, a fantail. and a white-eye). is of volcanicorigin (Key, 1968) but is This alarminglyrapid disappearanceof ecologicallyso ravagedthat its original native birds is reminiscent of the extinc- condition can only be surmised. South- tions of Hawaiian birds in the 1890s ern Guam is an ornithological waste- (reviewedby Warner. 1968 and Atkin- land. In severalvisits to that part of the son, 1977). Even at dawn on Guam, island in 1976 and 1978, we have seen whenforests should ring with the songs only one native passefine,a lone Micro- of birds as they do in the Northern Mari- nesian Starling, Aplonis opaca. Bruce anas, only the calls of introduced Black BanzaiCliff, Marpi District,Saipan. Photo/ found no native songbirdsin this area in Drongos, Dicrurus macrocercus, and H. D. Pratt. 1975. But our investigationsof the lime- Philippine Turtle Doves, with an occa- Guam stone forests of northern Guam in 1976 sional contribution from a native crow, revealedgood populations of mostnative kingfisher, or starling, can be heard UAMSTANDS 1NSTRIKING CONTRAST birds. Our visit followed closelybehind above the din of human activities. to the Northern Marianas in vir- typhoonPamela, which struck the island tually everyrespect. What natural beauty in May and causedsevere damage. Storm HATIS HAPPENINGto Guam's the island may oncehave had has largely damagewas obviousin the forests,which birds? Possible causes for their disappearedbeneath the heavyhand of had lost most of their canopy of Panda- decline could include excessspraying of so-called progress. Densely populated nus, but the distribution of birds did not pesticides.habitat destruction. preda- (ca. 100,000), Guam has had its soul sold seemto be correlatedwith suchdamage. tion by introducedsnakes or drongos,or even such exotic f•ctors as excessive atomic or microwave radiation. Habita! destruction is often cited as a cause for declineof nativebird specieseverywhere. but on Guam birds are obviouslydisap- pearing from seemingly undisturbed habitats such as the forest at Dos Amantes Point that has lost its passer- ines since 1975. Furthermore.many of the same species are abundant in degraded habitats on Saipan. Tinian, and Rota. Clearly careful investigations should be undertaken immediately to examine all of the possible causes. Delaysmay renderany potentialremedy powerless in preventing many extinc- tions. Fortunately the cliff terraces of northern Guam, which appear to be the last stronghold of the island's native passevines. are considered a wildlife sanctuaryby the military.

The Birds Nativeforest remnant;R itidian Pt., Guam. Photo/H. D. Pratt. to the military and the tourist industry. In fact. we found birds most numerous T HFFOLLOWING ACCOUNTS dealpri- One cannot escapethe noiseof automo- in a particulary storm-ravagedarea in marily with the distribution, hab- bile traffic or airplanesanywhere on the the northeastern sector of the island. A itats, and status of the Mariana Island's island, nor is any panorama devoid of seemingly undamaged woodland near land and freshwater birds. We made communications antennae. The northern Dos Amantes (Two Lovers) Point north special note of numbers of the Endan- two-thirds of Guam is uplifted coral of the city of Agana harboredfew birds gered Species.and also severalspecies limestone with a characteristic "lime- although Bruce had found most native (Mariana Fruit Dove, White-throated stone forest" (Key, 1968). Only a few passerinesthere the year before. By Ground Dove, Mariana Gallinule, Guam

Volume33. Number 3 229 Rail, Guam Flycatcher, Golden Honey- eater, and Mariana Crow) that have been considered as additions to the Federal list (Kridler. pets. comm.). We con- ducted no rigorous censuses,but we believe our estimates and assessments of relative numbers will be useful until more precise data are available. For- tunately, the U.S. Forest Service(C. J. Ralph, pers. comm.) is currently con- ducting studiesto accuratelydetermine populationsof birds throughout Micro- nesia,including the Marianas. Our notes on behavior and will be pub- lished elsewhere. For a checklist of birds recorded in the Marianas, see Owen (1977).

Ixobrychus sinensis-- YELLOW BITTERN This small bittern is an essentially ter- restrial bird of dry fields and grassythickets. It is not uncommon on all the islands and is Guam Rail/H. D. Pratt. one of the few native birds still found in Lake Susupein 1978. Residentsof the islands, census.but familiarity with its keek call notes southern Guam. On TinJan, we saw a dozen particularlySaipan. report considerable hunt- lead us to believe that the speciesexists in Yellow Bitterns following a tractor in a single ing of ducks,both residentand migrant. Obvi- healthynumbers. They are frequentlyseen on field near the airstrip. These birds are fre- ouslythe Mariana Mallard is truly imperiled. the shoulderof the highway, hence the local quentlyseen in flight. Perhapsonly a captivebreeding program can nickname "roadrunner." save the bird now. Egretta sacra -- PACIFIC REEF HERON Gallinula chloropusguami -- MARIANA This heron is an inhabitant of seacoasts. We Megapodius laperouse-- MICRONESIAN COMMON GALLINULE neverfound it inland on any of the Marianas. MEGAPODE This endemic subspeciesis apparently Two color phases,gray and white. occur in Pratt and Bruner (1978) rediscovered this muchreduced in numbers.We sawonly three about equal numbers with the gray morph specieson Saipan after an absenceof half a individuals.all on Saipan. One was on Lake perhapsslightly in the majority. We found century.The bird is rumored to be presenton Susupeand anotheron a small pond near a reef herons on all four islands. They were Tinian also, and it is known to still exist on the communicationsstation north of Magicienne nowhere abundant but we did not consider small island of Aguijan just south of that Bay. The latter pond had been drained in them rare even on Guam. Elsewhere in the island (Owen, pers. comm.). Efforts should be 1978,and no longerprovides gallinule habitat. Pacific (e.g., French Polynesia, Western made to determine the bird's status on TinJan Kridler and Owen also found gallinules at Samoa) we have seen reef herons far at sea before the planned military developmentsare thesetwo localities.In 1978,we saw a gallinule apparently on flights between islands more begun there. This EndangeredSpecies seems on the road shouldernear the village of San widely separated than the Marianas. Thus to be making a comeback. Roque far from any open fresh water. Thus interisland movement of these birds in the thisspecies is not entirelydependent on open archipelagoseems likely. Railus owstoni -- GUAM RAIL bodies of water. Residents confuse these birds We found this flightless rail to be well with ducks,and huntingpressure is appar- Anas oustaleti -- MARIANA MALLARD distributedin northernGuam. It was appar- ently great. Clearly the Mariana Common This duck. possiblyof hybridorigin (Yama- ently abundant in the recent past (Lint. 1968). Gallinuledeserves a place on the Endangered shina, 1948), was recently added to the U.S. We found the rails fairly common at Dos Species list. Its numbers are almost surely list of EndangeredSpecies. We sawno native Amantes Point, where Bruce found them fewer than those of the Hawaiian Gallinule ducks in the Marianas. Neither Lake Susupe numerousin 1975, and around the Navy Golf (G. c. sandvicensis)already so listed. on Saipan nor the Agafia Swamp on Guam Courseat Barrigada.They were mostcommon producedany, but we did not visit Lake Hatgoi in an abandoned military base known as Gallicolum ba xan thon ura -- WHITE- on TinJan where Marshall (1949) found them. Andersen South near Yigo. We noted no THROATED GROUND DOVE Kridler •pers.comm. ) did not find any there in changein numbersbetween 1976 and 1978. White-throatedGround Doves are extremely 1975, but did see two Mariana Mallards at The rail's secretive habits make it difficult to secretivebirds. but they revealtheir presence by occasionalhigh flights over the forestor by their low moaningcalls. Brunet and Pratt saw only two on Guam in 1976. both near Yigo, but Pratt found them somewhat more numer- ous in the same area in 1978. Bruce saw one near Ylig in southernGuam in 1975.Ground dovesare obviouslyrare to locallyuncommon on Guam. On the other islandsthey are more numerousand rather frequently seen. espe- cially in northernSaipan. but can not be con- sidered common anywhere in the Marianas. This speciesalso occurson Yap in the Car- oline Islands (Pratt et aL. 1977).

Ptilinopus roseicapilla-- MARIANA FRUIT DOVE The stutteringcoos of thesecolorful doves arc one of the dominant forest sounds on Saipan,TinJan, and Rota, but on Guam they Mariana Mallard/H. D. Pratt. arc seldomheard. In 1976wc sawmany more

230 AmericanBirds, May 1979 fruit dovesthan grounddoves on that island, seshave been made of the ecologicaleffects of as spotty,but we found it more generallydis- but in 1978 the numbers were reversed. Prob- suchsprayings in the Marianas. tributed. Apparently the reed-warblers have ably the two native doves survive in about benefitted from the planting of tangan- equally low numberson Guam. Fruit doves Halcyoncbtnamombta -- MICRONESIAN tangan. They are common to abundant in are veryshy and difficult to approachon Sai- KINGFISHER thicketsof that plant throughoutthe southern pan and Guam. but lessso on Rota and Tin- The kingfisherof Guam has apparently part of the island.particularly around the air- ian. This behavioral difference probably declined in numbers since Marshall {1949) port where the chorus of singing males at reflectsvarying amounts of hunting pressure found them abundant. Bruce failed to find the duskis truly impressive.The only area on Sai- on the four islands.The speciesis in no danger bird in southern Guam despite a diligent pan wherewe failed to find the reed-warbler on the three northern islands, but it should be search,but we found them commonthrough- was in the tangan-tanganthickets below the strictlyprotected on Guam to preventfurther out the northernpart of the island.This spe- Suicide Cliff in Marpi. The bird's preferred declines. cies is, for a kingfisher, unusually retiring. habitat seemsto be low trees near semi-open Anyone unfamiliar with its vocalizations grassyor reedyplaces, but it alsooccurs occa- Streptopeliabiiorquata -- PHILIPPINE would probably consider it rare indeed on sionallyin denseforest. The Saipan popula- TURTLE DOVE Guam. Occasionally, however, these birds tion of the NightingdaleReed-warbler prob- Introducedtwo centuriesago by the Span- perchin exposedplaces such as on powerlines. ably numbersmany thousands,and no extra- ish {Baker, 1951)this doveis well estahlished At least one pair of MicronesianKingfishers ordinarymeasures seem necessary to insureits in the southern Marianas, but is far from held a territoryin a patch of woodsnear the survival.The speciesdoes not occur on Rota abundant. It is common on Guam, partic- hotelsat Tumon Bay in August 1978,and the or Tinian. ularly in suburbanareas, and can often be kingfisherwas the only nativebird still present seenon poweflinesalong highways. The turtle in the forest at Dos Amantes Point that year. Monarcha takatsukasae -- TINIAN dovedoes not appear to competesignificantly Apparentlythe factorsleading to declinesof MONARCH with native doves. At Andersen South, where passetineson Guam are not adverselyaffect- The apparentreason for the designationof Pratt foundthe greatestnumbers of ground ing kingfishers. thisTinian endemicas an EndangeredSpecies doves and fruit doves in 1978, he also noted a is a misreadingof the report of Gleize (1945) high concentrationof this species.On the that gavean estimateof 40-50 birds. A careful islands less disturbed than Guam, at least the Halcyonchloris -- COLLARED, or reading of that paper revealsthat the figure MANGROVE KINGFISHER fruit doves substantially outnumber this representsthe actual number of birds the The kingfisherof Saipan,Tinian, and Rota author saw in a small part of the island and exotic.Philippine Turtle Dovesare legally is oneof the mostconspicuous components of huntedthroughout the Marianas. was not an estimateof the total population. the avifauna.The birds are large and noisy, Marshall 0949), in reference to the monarch and commonlychoose exposed perches such in 1945, spokeof "the peak of its abundance," Aerodramus vanikorensis bartschi -- as powerlines.Despite their conspicuousness. a phrasethat could hardly havebeen applied VANIKORO SWIFTLET thesebirds are probablynot as numerousas to a populationof 40-50 birds.As our observa- These swiftlets are common in the interior someother less obvious species. They are pri- tions and those of others show, the TinJan valleysof Saipanbut seldomseen elsewhere on marilyforest birds, but are alsofound in dis- Monarch probablynever deserved a place on the island. We saw them also in fair numbers turbed habitats and in suburban areas. the list of EndangeredSpecies. Owens {per& comm.) found the TinJan Monarch to be abundant in 1974. Bruce con- firmed his observation in 1975 and Brunet and Pratt found a similar situation in 1976. This drab flycatcheris the most conspicuous bird on TinJan, and is often seenflying across roads. The monarch is most numerous in densestands of tangan-tanganthat nowcover most of the island, but the bird is absentonly from the clearedpastureland in the central area. The populationis surely in the tens of thousands.We doubt that TinJan could sup- port a larger population. The monarch's adaptability to, and even preference for, man-altered habitats indicate that it is a highly resilient speciesand one that is not likely to be imperiledbarring the total disap- pearanceof treesfrom the islandof TinJan.

Myiagrafreycineti -- GUAM FLYCATCHER or GUAM BROADBILL This endemicmay be the leastnumerous of Guam'ssurviving songbirds. These flycatchers do not require primary forest, and indeed seem to prefer thickets of tangan-tangan (Beaty,1967; Key, 1968).They are more secre- Mariana Crow/H. D. Pratt. tive than the fantails and white-eyesin such habitat and are most often located by their on Rota and TinJan, but found none on Acrocephalusluscinia -- NIGHTINGALE calls. We found Guam Flycatchersin forests Guam. The colony at Dos Areantes Point, REED-WARBLER and thicketsthroughout the northern part of mentionedby Wood(in Key, 1968)apparently This EndangeredSpecies may be extirpated the islandin 1976.They were locally common no longerexists. Nor did we find any nearthe on Guam. We failed to find it in several visits but alwaysdifficult to see. However, in 1978, cliffs of northern Guam where they might be to the AgafiaSwamp, which is rapidlygiving Pratt couldfind them in only one of the 1976 expected. However. a few swiftlets have way to housingand shoppingcenters. This localities.A few individualswere present at recentlybeen seen in southernGuam (Ralph, swampmay have been the species'last strong- AndersenSouth near Yigo, but in apparently per& comm.), thus the speciesis not extinct on holdon Guam (Key, 1968). The birdis shy and suitable native forest below the cliffs south of the island. Residents of all the islands attest to retiring, but its spectacularsong cannot be Mt. Santa Rosa the flycatchers,as well as the the former abundance of swiftlets, and most easilyoverlooked. Nightingale Reed-warblers white-eyesand fantails, had disappeared. attribute the birds' demise on Guam to heavy are rather common on Saipan. Marshall Pratt saw four Guam Flycatchersin forests sprayingof pesticides.Apparently, no analy- (1949)reported its distributionon that island belowcliffs at Ritidian Point on July 30, 1978.

Volume 33, Number 3 231 COLLARED KINGFISHER Saipan race)

MICRONESIAN KINGFISHER (Guam race, d)

WHITE- THROA TED GROUND-DOVE d MARIANA CROW

Tinian MICRONESIAN STARLING

BLACK DRONGO Guam

ad.

BRIDLED WHITE- EYE • Rota

CARDINAL HONEYEA TER •

GUAM FLYCATCHER

VANIKORO SWIFTLET

GOLDEN HONEYEA TER TINIAN MONARCH

Saipan RUFOUS-FRONTED FANTAIL

BARN SWALLOW

ad. Guam

imm. NIGHTINGALE REED-WARBLER Brucehad notedthis speciesat Dos Amantes claims that drongoseat small birds as well as Ap[omsopaca -- MICRONESIAN Point in 1975, but we found none there in 1976 insects,but Vaurle On Thomson, 1964) says STARLING or 1978. For whatever reason, the Guam Fly- "theydo not molestsmall or harmlessbirds." This starlingis a conspicuousbird through- catcherappears to be withdrawingfrom its We doubt that such depradationsalone, if out the larger Mariana Islands,but its num- last few strongholds.We consideredthe they do occur, could produce the apparent bersvary considerablyfrom islandto island It speciesonly moderatelythreatened in 1976, alarming declinesof small birds on Guam. is abundant on Rota, common on Tinian, and but the outlookin 1978 is grim, indeed. Perhapsthe drongois onlyone of a kaleido- uncommonon Saipanand Guam. Microneslan scopeof inimical factors. Starlingsare usuallybold and inquisitivebut on Saipan we found them shy and retiring Rhtpidura rufifrons -- RUFOUS-FRONTED Myzomelacardinalis -- CARDINAL Althoughstill easilyseen on Guam, this bird is FANTAIL HONEYEATER reducedfrom its formerabundance (Stophlet, This spritely bird is abundant on Saipan These handsome red and black birds are 1946:Baker, 1951)and apparentlydeclining and Tinian, particularly in thickets of commonon Rota, but we found them in only a We saw no large flocks such as those men- tangan-tangan.The fantail is less numerous, few places on the other islands. On Saipan tioned by the earlier writers. but still common, in dense forests. On Rota, and TinJan the endemicsongbirds vastly out- where considerable forest remains, the bird is numberthis widespreadPacific species.The Dicrurus macrocercus -- commonbut not abundant. Apparently the Cardinal Honeyeater'spreference for flower- Introduced to Rota from Taiwan by the Rufous-fronted Fantail declined in numbers ing trees often brings it into gardensand Japanese in 1935 (Baker, 1951), the Black during World War II (Stott, 1947) but has yards. We found them in coconut palms Drongospread to Guam, apparentlyunaided, sincerecovered except on Guam. In 1976, we around the resort hotels of Guam's Tumon in the early 1960s(Wood in Key, 1968).It is found the Guam population to be much Bay in 1976.They were uncommonbut wide- abundant in the lowlands of Rota but less smaller than that of other islands, but the spreadelsewhere in northernGuam in both numerouson the plateau. It is now alsoabun- birds were not uncommon in forests and 1976and 1978. This speciesseems to be with- dant throughout northern Guam. True to thickets in the northern third of the island. standingthe forcesthat are causingdeclines their nature elsewhere (Vaurie in Thomson, But by 1978 the fantails, like the flycatchers, in Guam's other small nativepasserines. 1964) Black Drongoson Guam are quarrel- had disappearedfrom most of this area. Bru- some and pugnaciousand often harassother net and Pratt could find only a singleindivid- Cleptornismarchei -- GOLDEN large birds and fruit bats (Pteropus)(Perez, ual in the areas where two years before the HONEYEATER 1972; Bruner and Pratt, 1979). For an account bird had beenpresent in fair numbers.Only in The Golden Honeyeaterwas long thought to of possibleinteractions of drongoswith small the limestone forests near Ritidian Point, vis- be endemic to Saipan, but Owen (pers. nativebirds, see Bridled White-eye. ited by Pratt on July 30, were fantails to be comm.)found it on Aguijanin 1954.Like that found in any numbers. Rufous-fronted Fan- of the Tinian Monarch, this species'status has Corvuskubaryi -- MARIANA CROW tails are highly vocal with high-pitched tink- beenthe subjectof conflictingreports. Stott Known only from Rota and Guam, this ling vocalizations,and thus are not easily (1947)reported the bird in only one localityin smallcrow is nowgreatly reduced in numbers missedwhere they occur.Their songscould be dense forest. Nevertheless, Marshall (1949) We found it only with difficulty on Guam in heard at every hand throughout the day on described the honeyeater as "numerous." 1976, when we saw about 20 in the area of Mt Sinpan in July, while on Guam the woods Brucefound it in goodnumbers but somewhat Santa Rosa. However, in contrast to the situa- remained silent. Thus we believe that our lack localizedin 1975. We went to Saipanexpect- tion with the smaller ,the crows of observations on Guam reflects a real ing to have difficulty finding the bird, but appearedin 1978 to be holdingtheir own or absenceof birds, rather than a seasonallull in located severaljust outsideour hotel within even increasingon Guam. Unusuallywary for singing.Clearly the Guam subspecies(R. ruff- ten minutes of beginning our search. The crows, these birds are more often heard than frons uraniae) is in serioustrouble. GoldenHoneyeater turned out to be abundant seenin most places.Pratt heard or sawMan- throughout the island. Its habitat includes anaCrows on every vis[t to AndersenSouth in dense forest, tangan-tangan thickets, and 1978, and found them surprisinglynumerous, Zosteropsconspicillatus -- BRIDLED scrubbywoods near openfields. We evensaw tame, and conspicuousnear Ritidian Point on WHITE-EYE severalin exoticpoinciana (Delonix) trees that July 30. Bruce failed to find the bird at Mt The Bridled White-eye is the most abun- surroundeda recentlydemolished building in Sasalaguanwhere it formerly could be seen dant bird on Saipan and TinJan and moves the main shoppingdistrict. Every Saipanres- regularly (Pettingill, 1967), but Ralph (pers about in large flocks.We saw the Guam sub- ident we queriedwas familiar with the con- comm.) found small numbersin anotherpart species(Z. c. conspicillatus)frequently in the spicuous"kanario." Kobayashi(1970) also of southern Guam. On Rota, the crows are northernpart of the islandin small flocksof reportedthe bird common in exotic vegeta- still relativelycommon. We found them in all up to 15 birds in 1976 but by 1978 they were tion. The GoldenHoneyeater appears to exist parts of the island,and webelieve they are not absent from these same areas. Pratt saw only at the saturatio,n level of its habitat. Clearly in any serioustrouble there. Nevertheless,this two flocks of four or five birds on July 30, at this adaptablebird is not endangered. interestingspecies needs protection. A favorite Rltldian Point, and could find none elsewhere. excursion,we were told by someSaipan res- Similarlythe distinctiveRota subspecies(Z. c. Lonchura malacca -- CHESTNUT idents, is a trip to Rota "to shoot crows" rotensis) is rare and local. We could find no MANNIKIN Since Rota's human populationis small, an white-eyesin the lowlands of that island, We found this introducedfinch widespread effectiveeducation campaign could do much althoughthey had beenreported "numerous" in northernGuam, and particularlyabundant to save the Mariana Crow on that island. in 1945 (Baker, 1951). We found only three in the residential areas around Barrigada. small flocks in patchesof scrubbyPandanus Bruce found it locallycommon in the Mt. Sas- Conclusions and Recommendations woodson the central plateau. Bruce saw only alaguan area. We met with small flocks in six individualsin 1975, alsoon the plateau. If, relativelyopen areas. We found no evidence in fact, the white-eyeis confinedto the plateau that these birds compete in any way with HE AVIFAUNAOF THE MARIANA woods on Rota, the population cannot be nativespecies. ISLANDS, except for Guam, has large. largelyrecovered from thedamage inflicted Why the white-eyesof Guam and Rota Passer montanus -- EURASIAN TREE during World War II. But the ravagesof SPARROW should have declined so drastically, while civilized man are everywhereapparent thoseof Saipan and TinJanremain abundant This exotic was apparently introduced we cannot say. Rota has suffered less recently in the Marianas as Baker (1951) did on Guam, and are beginningto be felt •n ecologicaldamage than the other islands not includeit. Wood (in Key, 1968)referred to the Northern Marianas. The survival of (Baker, 1946)yet is the home of what may be it as ubiquitouson Guam. Thesesparrows are birds in theseislands will dependlargely the mostcritically threatened in the common in all urban areas on the island. We on the decisionsthat are made dunng also found them in small numbers in towns on Northern Marianas. The only obviousecolog- the next decade. Such decisions should ical factor sharedby Guam and Rota but not Rota, Tinian, and Saipan in 1976. They Salpanor TinJanis the presenceof the intro- appearedby 1978 to be increasingrapidly on be based on sounddata, and fortunately duced Black Drongo. Wood (in Key, 1968) the latter island. suchdata are currentlybeing gathered.

234 AmericanBirds, May 1979 We believe that the establishment of the past to inspire confidence with GRESSITT, J LINSLEY, 1954 Insects of more realistic lists of Endangered Spe- regard to environmental matters We Mlcronesia Vol 1, Introduction B P BishopMus., Honolulu. roesis importantso that researchefforts have allowed our ecologicalvices to run KEY, ROBERT E., Ed., 1%8. A naturalist's will not be misdirected.In our opinion, rampant on Guam for eightyyears. Per- guide to Guam. Guam ScienceTeachess the TinJan Monarch and the Nightingale hapsit is not too late for the peopleof Assoc.,Agana. Reed-warblerneed no specialattention the Northern Marianas to learn from KIENER, ROBERT, 1978. A bulwark of the that bad example.Perhaps also we can Pacific. Glimpses of Micronesia and the and shouldbe droppedfrom the lists. WesternPacific 18:32-38. Nor should birds such as Saipan's still rescuea fragmentof Guam's ruined KOBAYASHI, KEISUKE, 1970. Observatmn GoldenHoneyeater be consideredEndan- ecosystems.But continuedneglect of our of the birds on Mariana Islands. Tori 20 geredsimply because they are foundon responsibilitiesin the Marianas may 24-29. mean that this unique avifauna will dis- LINT, K. C., 1968. A rail of Guam. Zoo Nooz onlyone or two islands.If that philos- 41:16-17. ophywere adopted universally, hundreds appear before most of us even knew it MARSHALL, JOE T., JR., 1949. The endemic of insular endemics,many of which are existed. avifauna of Saipan, Tinian, Guam, and abundant within a limited range, will Palau. Condor 51:200-221. have to be consideredEndangered. The Acknowledgements OWEN, ROBERT P., 1977. A checklist of the birds ofMicronesia. Micronesica 13:65-81 listingof suchcommon birds could des- PANGELINAN, JESUS B. and RAMON I troythe credibilityof the list in the eyes URVISITS TO THE MARIANA Islands KAPILEO, 1971. Land capability report of of the islands' human residents, in whose have been supportedin part by Marpi. Mariana Islands District Land hands the ultimate fate of the birds will grants from Brigham Young University ManagementOffice, Saipan. 24 p. lie Rather, attention should be focused Hawaii Campus, Frank M. Chapman PEREZ, GERALD S. A., 1972. Observations of Guam bats. Micronesica 8:141-149. Memorial Fund, and Louisiana State on those critically endangeredspecies PETTINGILL, OLIN S., 1967. Guam -- that require immediate extraordinary University Museum of Zoology. We boondocksunspoiled. Audubon 69:8-20. measures to insure their survival. thank Robert P. Owen, Eugene Kridler, PRATT, H. DOUGLAS and PHILLIP L We believe our observationsprovide Murray Bruce,arid C. JohnRalph for BRUNER, 1978. Micronesian Megapode rediscoveredon Saipan.'Elepaio 39:57-59 sufficientdata to warrant the placement sharing their observationswith us. J. and DELWYN G. BERRETT, of several Mariana Islands birds on the Michael Fitzsimonsread the manuscript 1977. Ornithological observationson Yap, Federal list of Endangered Species. and madehelpful suggestions. Shigemaru western Caroline Islands. Micronesica 13 These include the White-throated Shimoyama, Visiting Professor at 49-56. Ground Dove, Mariana Common Galli- L.S.U., translated pertinent sectionsof STOPHLET, JOHN J., 1946. Birds of Guam Auk. 64:534-540. nule, Mariana Crow, Rota BridledWhite- the Kobayashi (1970) paper. E. H. STOTT, KEN, 1947. Notes on Saipan birds eye, Guam Flycatcher,and the Guam Bryan, Jr. allowedus accessto his exten- Auk. 64:523-527. subspeciesof Bridled White-eyeand sive files on the Marianas at the Pacific THOMSON, A. LANDSBOROUGH, Ed, Rufous-fronted Fantail. Two others that Scientific Information Center, Bishop 1964. A new dictionary of birds. McGraw- Museum, Honolulu. Hill BookCo., New York. 928p. probablyshould be protectedas Threat- TRUMBULL, ROBERT, 1973. Cattle roam tened Speciesare the Mariana Fruit over historic Pacific airfield. Honolulu Dove and the Guam Rail. The declining Literature Cited Star-Bulletin,Nov. 28, p C-4. populationof the Vanikoro Swiftlet VINCENT, JACK, 1967. Birds in danger of shouldbe watchedclosely, although the ATKINSON, I. A. E., 1977. A reassessmentof ,threatenetl species of birds: gen- eral report. Bull. Int. Council Bird Preser- speciesis notin serioustrouble yet. factors, particularlyRattus rattus L., that influenced the decline of endemic forest vation 10:82-100. Habitat preservationwill neverbe any birds in the Hawaiian Islands. Pac. Sci. 31: WARNER, RICHARD E., 1%8. The role of easier in the Marianas than it is now 109-133. introduced diseases in the extinction of the while human populationsare at reason- BAKER, ROLLIN H., 1946. Some effects of endemic Hawaiian avifauna. Condor 70 the war on the wildlife of Micronesia. 101-120. able levels. Saipan's Marpi district U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1976. Endan- would be an ideal natural reserve per- Trans. 11th. N. Amer. Wildlife Conf.: 205- 213. gered and threatenedwildlife and plants hapseven worthy of nationalpark status. __., 1947.Size of bird populationsat Guam, FederalR•gister 41 (208):47180-47198. Such an arrangement would not only Marlaria Islands. Condor 49:124-125. YAMASHINA, YOSHIMARO, 1948. Notes __., 1948. Report on collectionsof birds on the Marianas Mallard. Pac. Sci. 2:121- helpprotect the island'snative birds but 124. would be an asset economically by made by United States Naval Medical Research Unit No. 2 in the Pacific war area. attractingAmerican tourists for whom Smithsonian Misc. Coll. 107 (15):1-74 + 6 the term "nationalpark" has a special plates. mystique.The coastalcliff areaof north- ., 1951. The avifauna of Micronesia, its ern Guam is anotherone worthy of pres- origin, evolution,and distribution.Univ. --Museum of Zoology,Louisiana State ervation in its natural state. Rota, per- Kansas Publ., Mus. Nat. Hist., 3:1-359. University,Baton Rouge, Louisiana BEATY, JANICE J., 1967. Guam's remark- hapsthe most scenicof all the larger able birds. S. Pac. Bull. 17:37-40. 70892(Pratt); Division of Mathematics, Marianas, has many uninhabitedtracts BRUNER, PHILLIP L. and H. DOUGLAS Natural Science,and Technology, suitablefor parksor preserves.The com- PRATT, 1979. Field notes on Micronesian Brigham Young UniversityHawart ing military developmentson Tinian bats. 'Elepaio. Campus,Laie, Hawaii 96762 (Bruner), need not be detrimental to the island's DOWNS, T., 1946. Birds on TinJan in the Divisionof Mathematics,Natural Marianas. Trans. Kansas Acad. Sci. 49:87- birdsif ecologicalfactors are considered. 106. Science,and Technology,B. Y. U. -H Citizens of the Marianas are proud to GLEIZE, D. A., 1945. Birds of Tinia. Bull. Present Address: 131 West Third So, be Americans. But we have done little in Massachusetts Audubon Soc. 29:200. Rexburg,Idaho 83440 (BerretO

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