Chapter I Intro & Objectives - SPREP

PHOENIX ISLANDS PROTECTED AREA MANAGEMENT PLAN
Chapter III. Background, 3. Terrestrial Resources
Draft 1 March 2007
Murphy et al (1954) reported that there were no Polynesian rats on Enderbury. This may
have contributed to the abundant avifauna there.
In the 1960’s the Smithsonian Institution set up camp on Enderbury to tag birds. Lesser
frigatebirds that were banned in Enderbury were found in the Philippines (Anon. 1965).
Abbott (1966) reported that Enderbury was home to 13 species of birds and a vacation spot
for 10 other species of birds. She did not list the species.
Abbott (1966) reported that as part of the Pacific Ocean Biological Survey Program, over 600
birds banned on Enderbury have been recaptured elsewhere. In addition, almost 400 birds
banded on other islands have been recaptured on Enderbury. Based on these banding returns
it is now known that the lesser frigatebird flies regularly to the Western Pacific, and
commonly travels over 4,828 km (3,000 miles).
Abbott (1966) noted that the red-tailed tropicbird, blue-faced booby, red-footed bobby, great
frigatebird, lesser frigatebird, and gray-backed tern commonly nest on Enderbury and have
annual breeding cycles. The sooty tern on Enderbury has a six-month breeding cycle.
In 1963 and 1964, 13,027 nestlings and 146 adult lesser frigatebirds were banded on
Howland, McKean, Rawaki (Phoenix), and Enderbury (Sibley and Clapp 1967). A summary
of band recover is presented in Figure III-3.3 above.
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 three pintails, Anas acuta, were observed on Enderbury. In addition, a
sandpiper, probably the spotted sandpiper, Tringa macularia, was observed on Enderbury.
Clapp (1968) also reported the sharp-tailed sandpiper, E. acuminata, the pectoral sandpiper,
E. melanotos, and the sanderling, Crocethia alba, from Enderbury.
Sibley and Clapp (1967) reported that specimens of the lesser frigatebird, Fregata ariel, had
been collected from Enderbury, Orona (Hull), and Abariringa (Canton).
Amerson (1968) reported that the tick, Ixodes amersoni, was found on a red-footed booby,
Sula sula on Enderbury in 1966. Amerson (1968) lists the bird hosts for the tick, Ornithoros
capensis and the O. capensis group in Enderbury (see Table III-3.11 above).
In 1973, Clapp (1975) observed gray-backed terns, Sterns lunata, on Enderbury, swoop down
and catch a snake-eyed skink, Crypotblepharus boutoni. Captured skinks were consumed in
flight by the terns. This appeared to be the first documentation of skink consumption by
gray-backed terns and might be related to the abundance of skink on Enderbury.
On Enderbury, a colony of 10,000 gray-backed terns lived near the 61 m (200 ft) antenna that
was erected in 1970 by Holmes and Narver (King 1973). Seabirds colonies were not
impacted by the antenna or other support facilities.
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