Although records were made only infrequently in the spring migration,
such information as was obtained indicates that the populations were
largest in March and early April. On April 24, _Pluvialis dominica_ was
the only bird observed on beaches and in upland openings. On April 26, a
single _Limosa lapponica_ was recorded. On May 15, no shore bird was
seen on a trip along several beaches. In late May and early June, single
individuals of _Heteroscelus_ were found. Of this genus, those collected
in May were in nuptial plumage, and those collected in June were in
winter plumage and probably should be classed as non-migrants. _Numenius
phaeopus_ was occasionally recorded beginning in early June, but waders
were totally absent from beaches at Agfayan Bay and vicinity on June 18
and 19. Few shore birds were seen in early August. In late September,
birds, especially _Pluvialis dominica_, _Numenius phaeopus_, and
_Heteroscelus_ spp., were numerous. These species were numerous until
October 24, when observations were discontinued.
Of the 17 species of migratory shore birds recorded from the Mariana
Islands, eight were identified. Of these eight, three species, _Limosa
lapponica_, _Actitis hypoleucos_, and _Charadrius mongolus_, were found
on only one occasion. Never more than four species were identified on a
single field trip. These data give an idea of the lack of variety of
species that may be observed on Micronesian islands.
TABLE 9. POPULATIONS OF MIGRATORY SHORE BIRDS SEEN AT ULITHI ATOLL IN 1945
Column headings:
Fas.: Fassari
Man.: Mangejang
Los.: Losiep
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account