Chapter I Intro & Objectives - SPREP

PHOENIX ISLANDS PROTECTED AREA MANAGEMENT PLAN
Chapter III. Background, 3. Terrestrial Resources
Draft 1 March 2007
The red-tailed tropic-bird, Phaethon rubricauda melanorhynchos, had breeding colonies on
Nikumaroro (Gardner), Orona (Hull), Rawaki (Phoenix), McKean, Manra (Sydney),
Abariringa (Canton) (Child 1960).
The Phoenix petrel, Pterodroma alba, had breeding colonies on Abariringa (Canton) and
Rawaki (Phoenix) and possibly Nikumaroro (Gardner) (Child 1960).
The long-tailed New Zealand cuckoo, Urodynamis taitensis, was rare in the Manra (Sydney),
Orona (Hull), and Nikumaroro (Gardner) (Child 1960).
In 1963, when settlers were evacuated from Nikumaroro (Gardner) due to a drought, they left
behind their chickens (King 1973).
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).
King (1973) reported low numbers of tree-nesting seabirds on Nikumaroro (Gardner).
Gilbert Islands (1978) reported that wild poultry were on Nikumaroro. The species of wild
poultry was not identified.
Garnett (1983) reported the following seabirds on Nikumaroro (Gardner):
1) Phaethon rubricauda,
2) Phaethon lepturus,
3) Sula sula,
4) Sula dactylatra,
5) Sula leucogaster,
6) Fregata minor,
7) Fregata ariel,
8) Sterna fuscata,
9) Anous stolidus
10) Anous minutus,
11) Gygis alba,
12) Pluvialis dominica,
13) Arenaria interpres,
14) Numenius tahitiensis,
15) Heteroscelus incanus,
16) Erolia acuminata,
17) Crocethia alba.
Garnett (1983) also noted that feral chickens had been observed on Nikumaroro (Gardner).
Government of Kiribati (1995) reported on bird observations on Abariringa, Enderbury,
Manra, Nikumaroro, and Orona (see Table III-3.19 above). Five species of birds were
observed on Nikumaroro. The bird population was not large. The red-tailed tropicbird (te
taake) was the most abundant. The white tern (te matawa) was observed breeding in trees at
the old village site. Frigate birds, and the black noody (te mangkiri) were also observed.
Kepler (2000) reported on bird counts on Abariringa (Canton), Enderbury, Manra, Orona, and
Nikumaroro (see Table III-3.20 above).
Stone et al (2001) reported that no large aggregations of birds were observed on Nikumaroro
in 2000. Observed bird species included: 200 to 300 mostly sub-adult brown boobies, Sula
leucogaster; 50-70 great frigatebirds, Fregata minor; 40-50 sooty, Sterna fuscata or
spectacled, Sterna lunata, terns; 20 masked boobies, Sula dactylatra, 20-30 brown noddies,
Anous stolidus, and several white fairy-terns, Gygis microrhyncha.
95