Chapter I Intro & Objectives - SPREP

PHOENIX ISLANDS PROTECTED AREA MANAGEMENT PLAN
Chapter III. Background, 3. Terrestrial Resources
Draft 1 March 2007
Child (1960) reported the blue-grey noddy (Bennett’s noddy; blue-grey fairy ternlet),
Procelsterna cerulea nebouxi, on Abariringa (Canton), McKean, Rawaki (Phoenix), Manra
(Sydney), and Birnie.
Anon. (1966) reported that blue-faced boobies that were banded on Birnie were retrieved on
Nikunau in the Gilbert Islands, and on Yap, in the Western Caroline Islands (see Figure III-
3.5).
Figure III-3.5. Tag and recapture of blue-faced boobies from
Birnie (source: Anon. 1966).
Clapp and Sibley (1967) reported new records of bird species for Abariringa (Canton),
Birnie, Enderbury, Manra (Sydney), McKean, Nikumaroro (Gardner), and Rawaki (Phoenix)
(see Table III-3.18 above).
Clapp (1968) reported the sharp-tailed sandpiper, E. acuminata, and the sanderling,
Crocethia alba, from Bernie.
Amerson (1968) lists the bird hosts for the tick, Ornithoros capensis and the O. capensis
group in Birnie (see Table III-3.11 above).
King (1973) noted that bird populations were not large on Birnie. But this was due to the
small size of the island. It was of high value for bird conservation as it was almost in an
undisturbed state.
Garnett (1983) reported that six species of seabirds bred on Birnie. They included:
1) Sula dactylatra,
2) Sula leucogaster,
4) Anous stolidus,
5) Procelsterna carulea, and
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