Chapter I Intro & Objectives - SPREP

PHOENIX ISLANDS PROTECTED AREA MANAGEMENT PLAN
Chapter III. Background, 3. Terrestrial Resources
Draft 1 March 2007
about the same number of sandering (te kiriri), and masked booby (te mouakena) were
observed. About 200 red-tailed tropic birds were also observed.
Kepler (2000) reported on bird counts on Abariringa (Canton), Enderbury, Manra, Orona, and
Nikumaroro (see Table III-3.20 above).
In 2000, in one area of Enderbury, 10,000 to 15,000 great and lesser frigatebirds and more
than 30,000 spectacled or sooty terns were observed (Stone et al 2001). Other bird species
observed included: masked and brown boobies, red-tailed ropicbirds, Phaethon rubricauda,
brown noddies, white fairy terns and others.
Neilson (2002) reported the presences of various bird species on Abariringa (Kanton), Birnie,
Enderbury, Manra, Nikumaroro, Orona and Rawaki (see Table III-3.22 above).
Neilson (2002) reported that Enderbury had the highest species diversity of birds in the
Phoenix Islands. The remnants of the old guano extraction facilities on the south provided
shelter for various nesting bird species such as Phoenton rubicauda and Gygis alba.
In 2002, bird surveys were conducted on all Phoenix Islands, except McKean (Obura and
Stone 2003; Yoshinaga 2002; see Table III-3.23 above). No petrels, shearwaters, Pacific reef
herons, or blue-gray noddies were observed.
Di Piazza and Pearthree (2004) provided a list of bird species observed on Rawaki (Phoenix),
Enderbury, Manra, Orona, and Abariringa (Canton) (see Table III-3.24 above).
Pierce et al (2006) identified seabird colony locations on Enderbury (see Figure III-3.6
below).
Figure III-3.6. Seabird colony locations on Enderbury in 2006.
(source: Pierce et al 2006).
89