Chapter I Intro & Objectives - SPREP

PHOENIX ISLANDS PROTECTED AREA MANAGEMENT PLAN
Chapter III. Background, 3. Terrestrial Resources
Draft 1 March 2007
Pierce et al (2006) reported that two species of birds in the Phoenix Islands were listed in the
2004 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (see www.iucnredlist.org).
1) The Phoenix petrel, Pterodroma alba - endanged.
2) White-throated storm-petrel, Nesofregetta albigularis - vulnerable.
ABARIRINGA (CANTON, KANTON)
In 1861, as part of guano investigations, J.D. Hague provided notes on the sea birds of
Abariringa (Canton) (Murphy et al 1954; Hague 1862).
Lister was part of the surveying voyage of the H.M.S. Egeria (Murphy et al 1954). Lister
(1891) noted the presences various bird species on Abariringa (Canton), Birnie, Manra
(Sydney), McKean, Nikumaroro (Gardner), and Rawaki (Phoenix) (see Table III-3.16 above).
Eighteen species of birds were identified from Abariringa (Canton) (Murphy et al 1954).
In 1924, the Whitney South Sea Expedition completed a bird collection on Abariringa
(Canton) (Murphy et al 1954). E.H. Bryan, Jr. was on this expedition and reported findings
in a series of articles in the late 1930’s and early 1940’s.
In 1937, several pairs of brown-winged tern, Sterna anaethetus anaethetus, were observed on
Abariringa (Canton) by Bunddle (Child 1960). There were no signs of nesting.
In 1937, G.A. Buddle, a New Zealand ornithologist, was part of the eclipse expedition to
Abariringa (Canton) (Murphy et al 1954; Buddle 1938). Buddle (1939) reported that the
birds of Abariringa (Canton) had been studied in 1889 and in 1937 (Buddle 1938 during the
eclipse expedition; see also Bryan 1941 and 1942). There were few changes between 1889
and 1937 (Buddle 1938 and 1939). Twenty species of birds were recorded in 1937 (Buddle
1938). These included:
1) Puffinus pacificus chlororhyncus
2) Puffinus nativitatis
11) Thalasseus hergii cristatus
12) Sterna fuscata oahuensis
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