Bridled white-eye | |
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A wild Saipan white-eye, Z. conspicillatus saypani | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Passeriformes |
Family: | Zosteropidae |
Genus: | Zosterops |
Species: | Z. conspicillatus |
Binomial name | |
Zosterops conspicillatus (Kittlitz, 1833) | |
Synonyms | |
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The bridled white-eye (Zosterops conspicillatus) (Chamorro name: nosa') is a species of white-eye native to the Mariana Islands and formerly Guam. The species' natural habitat is tropical forests, shrublands and urban areas. [1] [2]
Some sources, such as the IUCN, split the nominate subspecies and Z. c. saypani into separate species; in that case, the latter is known by the common name Saipan white-eye. [1] [2] Formerly, the Rota white-eye (Zosterops rotensis) was also considered as a subspecies of the bridled white-eye.
The nominate subspecies Zosterops conspicillatus conspicillatus, endemic to the island of Guam, became extinct due to the introduction of the brown tree snake. The last known sighting was in 1983. [2] [3] The US Fish and Wildlife Service delisted the species from the Endangered Species Act in October 2023 citing extinction. [4]
The remaining subspecies, Z. conspicillatus saypani, endemic to the Northern Mariana Islands, on the islands of Tinian, Saipan and Aguijan, is separated as a full species by some authorities, in which case its common name is Saipan white-eye. [1] This population is extremely abundant across its native range. 2007-2008 surveys estimated a population of 620,000-940,000, with approximately 534,000 birds on Saipan alone. In 2010, this species was the second most abundant breeding landbird encountered by surveyors on Saipan. As of 2022, the population was believed to not have changed significantly since earlier surveys and it was considered stable. [1] In 2008, Z. c. saypani was also introduced to the uninhabited island of Sarigan as a precaution and by 2016 this new population had rapidly increased to more than 8,000 birds. [1] The potential introduction of the brown tree snake on Saipan and U.S. military activity on Tinian could result in rapid population declines on these islands, but biosecurity measures to reduce this risk have so far been successful. [1] If a brown treesnake still manages to enter the islands, a specially trained and equipped response team is deployed to eliminate it, reducing the risk of a new population becoming established. [5] As a precautionary measure, the Saipan white-eye has been classified as near threatened. [1] The Saipan white-eye has a captive breeding program based at several US zoos. [6]
The Mariana mallard or Oustalet's duck is an extinct species of duck of the genus Anas that was endemic to the Mariana Islands. Its taxonomic status is debated, and it has variously been treated as a full species, a subspecies of the mallard or of the Pacific black duck, or sometimes as a subspecies of the Indian spot-billed duck.
The Guam rail is a species of flightless bird in the Rallidae family, endemic to the United States territory of Guam. It is known locally as the Ko'ko' bird. It was extirpated from the entire island by the late 1980s owing to the predation of the Brown tree snake, an invasive species not native to the island.
The brown tree snake, also known as the brown catsnake, is an arboreal rear-fanged colubrid snake native to eastern and northern coastal Australia, eastern Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and many islands in northwestern Melanesia. The snake is slender, in order to facilitate climbing, and can reach up to 2 meters in length. Its coloration may also vary, some being brown, green, or even red. Brown tree snakes prey on many things, ranging from invertebrates to birds, and even some smaller mammals. It is one of the very few colubrids found in Australia, where elapids are more common. Due to an accidental introduction after the events of World War II, this snake is now infamous for being an invasive species responsible for extirpating the majority of the native bird population in Guam. Currently, efforts are being made to reduce and control the population on Guam and prevent the snake from spreading to other locations.
The Guam flying fox, also known as the little Marianas fruit bat, was a small megabat from Guam in the Marianas Islands in Micronesia that was confirmed extinct due to hunting or habitat changes. It was first recorded in 1931 and was observed roosting with the larger and much more common Mariana fruit bat. The last specimen was a female found roosting at Tarague cliff in March 1967, but it escaped capture. An unconfirmed sighting took place sometime during the 1970s, and no other individuals have been sighted since then.
The warbling white-eye, also known as the Japanese white-eye and mountain white-eye, is a small passerine bird in the white-eye family. The specific epithet is occasionally written japonica, but this is incorrect due to the gender of the genus. Its native range includes much of East Asia, including the Russian Far East, Japan, Indonesia, Korea, and the Philippines. It has been intentionally introduced to other parts of the world as a pet and as pest control, with mixed results. As one of the native species of the Japanese islands, it has been depicted in Japanese art on numerous occasions, and historically was kept as a cage bird.
The Mariana fruit dove or Marianas fruit dove, totot on Guam or Paluman totut in Northern Marianas Islands, also known as mwee’mwe in the Carolinian language, is a small, up to 24 cm long, green fruit dove native and endemic to Guam and the Northern Marianas Islands in the Pacific. It has a red forehead; greyish head, back and breast; and yellow belly patch and undertail coverts.
The Guam kingfisher is a species of kingfisher from the United States Territory of Guam. It is restricted to a captive breeding program following its extinction in the wild due primarily to predation by the introduced brown tree snake.
The nightingale reed warbler, or Guam reed-warbler, is an extinct songbird that was endemic to Guam.
The Micronesian megapode or Micronesian scrubfowl is an endangered megapode which inhabits islands of the Western Pacific Ocean.
The Mariana crow is a species of the crow family from the tropical Western Pacific. It is a glossy black bird about 15 inches (38 cm) long and known only from the islands of Guam and Rota.
The Mariana swiftlet or Guam swiftlet is a species of swiftlet in the family Apodidae.
The golden white-eye is a species of bird in the white-eye family, Zosteropidae. It is the only species within the genus Cleptornis. The golden white-eye was once considered to be a honeyeater in the family Meliphagidae and although it is now known to be a white-eye, its position within that family is still uncertain. The species is restricted to the islands of Saipan and Aguijan in the Northern Mariana Islands, where it is sympatric and competes with the related bridled white-eye. The golden white-eye has golden plumage and a pale eye-ring. It feeds on insects, fruit, and nectar and forages in pairs or small family groups. The bird is monogamous and lays two eggs in a small cup nest.
The Tinian monarch is a species of bird in the family Monarchidae. It is endemic to the Northern Mariana Islands.
The Micronesian myzomela is a species of bird in the honeyeater family Meliphagidae. The species forms a superspecies with a number of related and similar looking island and mainland myzomelas across the Pacific and Australasia. It in turn is composed of seven insular subspecies.
The Javan white-eye is a bird species in the family Zosteropidae that occurs in Java and Borneo. It is threatened by trapping for wildlife trade and has been assessed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List in 2019, as the wild population declined significantly.
The Rota white-eye or Rota bridled white-eye is a species of bird in the family Zosteropidae. It is critically endangered and endemic to Rota in the Northern Mariana Islands, where it mainly occurs in mature, wet limestone forests.
The Togian white-eye is a species of bird in the family Zosteropidae.
The sangkar white-eye is a bird species in the family Zosteropidae. It is also known as the Sunda white-eye. It is found in forested habitats on the Indonesian islands of Java and Bali. In Java it is typically found at elevations between 200–1,600 m (660–5,250 ft), but it sometimes occurs at lower elevations as well.
The Marianas tropical dry forests is a tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests ecoregion on the Marianas Islands in the western Pacific Ocean.
Syzygium thompsonii is an endemic tree of the Mariana Islands of Guam, Rota, and Saipan with a striking appearance due to its abundance of white flowers and edible fruit that grow directly from the trunk. It is related to the Malay apple but bears smaller tart fruit.