AVIS-IBIS

Birds of Indian Subcontinent

Upland Bird Communities on Santo, Vanuatu, Southwest Pacific

Publication Type:Journal Article
Year of Publication:2006
Authors:Kratter, AW, Kirchman, JJ, STEADMAN, DAVIDW
Journal:The Wilson Journal of Ornithology
Volume:118
Issue:3
Date Published:2006
ISBN Number:15594491
Keywords:Alcedinidae, Clytorhynchus, Clytorhynchus pachycephaloides, Columbidae, Halcyon, Halcyon farquhari, Monarchidae, Neolalage, Neolalage banksiana, Ptilinopus, Ptilinopus tannensis, Sturnidae, Sturnus, Sturnus vulgaris, Todiramphus, Todiramphus farquhari, Todirhamphus, Todirhamphus farquhari, Vanuatu
Abstract:We surveyed indigenous landbirds at two upland, mostly forested sites in southwestern Santo, Vanuatu. One site (Wunarohaehare, 600-1,250 m elevation) lies on the western, rain-shadowed slope of Mt. Tabwemasana. The other (Tsaraepae, 500-700 m elevation) is 16 km to the south, on the southeastern, very wet slope of Peak Santo. These are the richest single-site bird communities yet surveyed in Vanuatu, with 30 species of resident birds recorded at each site, 27 of which were common to both sites, including 6 species endemic to Vanuatu. We judged that 12 of the shared species were common at both sites. The non-overlapping species were a megapode, a parrot, and four understory passerines. We present new data on vocalizations for four species endemic to Vanuatu (Ptilinopus tannensis, Todiramphus farquhari, Neolalage banksiana) or to Vanuatu plus New Caledonia (Clytorhynchus pachycephaloides). We found less seasonality in breeding than previously reported for Vanuatu. Most human impact at the sites today may be from non-native mammals (rats, cats, pigs, cows), along with low levels of hunting and forest clearing. Based on prehistoric bones from elsewhere in Vanuatu, we suspect that formerly the sites on Santo may have supported additional species of megapode, hawk, parrot, and starling.
URL:http://www.jstor.org/stable/20455882
Short Title:The Wilson Journal of Ornithology
Scratchpads developed and conceived by (alphabetical): Ed Baker, Katherine Bouton Alice Heaton Dimitris Koureas, Laurence Livermore, Dave Roberts, Simon Rycroft, Ben Scott, Vince Smith