Chapter I Intro & Objectives - SPREP

PHOENIX ISLANDS PROTECTED AREA MANAGEMENT PLAN
Chapter III. Background, 3. Terrestrial Resources
Draft 1 March 2007
King (1973) noted that on Enderbury, hermit crabs have been observed causing mortality in
large sooty tern colonies (800,000 birds) and in frigatebird colonies.
Bryan (1974) reported that birds use to be abundant on Enderbury. However, their numbers
have been reduced due to the presence of the Polynesian rat and feral cats. Bryan (1974)
claimed that the principal damage done to the large colony of sooty terns and frigatebirds was
caused by hermit crabs.
On Enderbury, Woodward (1976) reported that a previously banned red-footed booby, Sula
sula, was brooding a nestling great frigatebird, Fregata minor. Later the same booby was
found protecting another frigatebird nestling. Woodward (1976) speculated that a booby egg
may have been accidently introduced into a frigatebird nest. The resultant booby was
imprinted to a frigatebird. Both have similar diets and feed their young in a similar manner.
Garnett (1983) provided a list of bird species and population size estimates for Enderbury.
This was based on the Pacific Ocean Biological Survey Programme’s visits in the 1960s (see
Table III-3.30 below).
Table III-3.30. List of breeding species of birds and population estimates for
Enderbury based on the Pacific Ocean Biological Survey Programme in the 1960s
(source: Garnett 1983).
Breeding species Population size
1) Sula dactylatra
2) Sula leucogaster
3) Sula sula
4) Fregata minor
5) Fregata ariel
6) Phaethon rubricauda
7) Sterna fuscata
8) Sterna lunata
9) Anous stolidus
10) Anous minutus
11) Gygis alba
2,000
300
2,000
8,000
15,000
1,000
400,000
10,00
500
4,000
20
Garnett (1983) provided a list of migrant and visiting bird species for Enderbury based on
results of the Pacific Ocean Biological Survey Programme in the 1960s. Migrant and visitng
bird species included the following:Puffinus pacificus,
1) Puffinus lherminieri,
2) Puffinus nativitatis,
3) Nesofregetta albigularis
4) Procelsterna cerulea,
5) Pluvialis dominica,
6) Arenaria interpres,
7) Numenius tahitiensis,
8) Tringa hypoleucos/macularia
9) Erolia acuminata,
10) Calidris melanotos,
11) Crocethia alba,
12) Anas acuta.
Government of Kiribati (1995) reported on bird observations on Abariringa, Enderbury,
Manra, Nikumaroro, and Orona (see Table III-3.19 above). About 500 lesser frigate birds
were observed on Enderbury, but not on other islands in the Phoenix Islands. In addition,
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