Every industry has its own special lingo…. here is how I could tell you about my day in ‘our’ lingo…
While in CNMI, the MAC team, in conjunction with DFW and AZA TAGs, works to provide different species for captive breeding as well as translocation. On this trip our targets are GOWE and RUFA.
"GOWE"
"RUFA"
We opened the nets at 6:00 AM ChST. Throughout the day, every 15 minutes all the nets have to be checked and cleared of any non-target species. Each time we walked out into the woods our excitement grew at the thought of catching our targeted species. On the walks, we were also able to see active BRWE and RUFA nests.
BRWE Nest
RUFA nest
During the several days we were mist-netting, we also caught (and released) BRWE, MIST, COLK, WTGD, and MIHO.
BRWE
MIST
COLK
MIHO
For each of the target species that we caught a very specific protocol was followed. Each person that was checking the nets had a special bag to hold and transport the bird back to base camp. At camp, we put the birds into specialized transport boxes (with food and water) and labeled each bird with the net number and the time of trapping. We used a GPS to mark all the netting sites, so we would be able to later include the exact trapping location in our data set. Once the birds were settled into the transport crates, we would transfer them back to the bird room for processing.
COLK caught in a mist net
Trapped birds waiting in their individual bags to go in the crates.
Placing birds in the transport crates.
A transport crate ready to go and full of birds!
There is not a list of 100’s of bird species that inhabit this area; in fact the bird list numbers around 104 – 110 species. One of the unique attributes of the CNMI is that each island has several endemic species (species that only occur on that island or those islands near-by). Many of the birds that call CNMI home are listed on the IUCN as NT, VU, EN or CR (not to mention on near-by Guam the Micronesian Kingfisher is EW). There are only a few forest bird species on the Island that we did not catch, namely MAFD and NIRW and one endemic species we did not see at all but heard… the MIME. While driving to and from our netting sites, we did see several birds that are common to this are including WHTE, BRNO, and REHE. While the possible list of species is not as long and diverse as the bird list for the Houston area, each sighting was a unique opportunity to see many bird species that not common, even in their native habitat.
Codes:
CNMI Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
DFW Department of Fish and Wildlife (for CNMI)
ChST Chamorro Standard Time
MAC Mariana Avifauna Conservation
AZA Association of Zoos and Aquariums
TAG Taxon Advisory Group
IUCN International Union for Conservation of Nature
EW Extinct in the Wild
CR Critically Endangered
EN Endangered
VU Vulnerable
NT Near Threatened
AOU Banding Codes for Birds (with IUCN Red List Status)
GOWE Golden White-eye (CR)
RUFA Rufous Fantail
BRWE Bridled White-eye (EN)
WTGD White-throated Ground Dove (NT)
COLK Collared Kingfisher
MIST Micronesian Starling
MIHO Micronesian Honeyeater
MAFD Mariana Fruit Dove (EN)
NIRW Nightingale Reed Warbler (CR)
MIME Micronesian Megapode (EN)
WHTE White Tern
BRNO Brown Noddy
REHE Pacific Reed Heron
Tiny RUFA chicks in the nest, four days after we first spotted the nest, shown previously.
Want more information? Read the rest of the series by clicking HERE!
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