Nov 16, 2008

Trip Reports - Koro Island

Observed on Koro Island, Fiji

Background
As far as birds are concerned, Koro is a very poorly known island – there appear to be no publications or reports of the birds from Koro, other than the Whitney South Sea Expedition in December 1924.

I visited the island for the second time December 28th 2000 to January 5th 2001 and stayed at Dere Bay. My first visit was in 1985 (?) and was only a matter of half a day.
I walked quite extensively in the hills around the Bay, but the time in the really good forest on the top ridge was quite limited – four or five hours on two days and during the middle of the day.

I was surprised not to see Golden Whistlers – I will have to go back and be in the forest at dawn before confirming that they have been lost from the island. Similarly more survey in open areas to confirm the absence of the Woodswallow.

Send your observations as a word document or as a .pdf file, attached to an email: Watling@is.com.fj
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© Copyright Environment Consultants 2001

English name Scientific name Comments
Reef Heron Egretta sacra Both grey and white phase
Pacific Black Duck Anas superciliosa Not observed but reported by villagers
Fiji Goshawk Accipiter rufitorques
Junglefowl Gallus gallus Common
Banded Rail Gallirallus philippensis
Sooty Rail Porzana tabuensis Not observed but reported by villagers
Swamphen Porphyrio porphyrio Not observed but reported by villagers
Swamp Harrier Circus approximans
White-throated Pigeon Columba vitiensis Seen once
Spotted Turtle-dove Streptopelia chinensis
Friendly Ground-dove Gallicolumba stairii
Peale's Pigeon Ducula latrans Quite common
Many-coloured Fruit-dove Ptilinopus perousii Quite common
Collared Lory Phigys solitarius Common
Red-breasted Musk Parrot P. tabuensis Very common
Barn Owl Tyto alba
White-rumped Swiftlet Collocalia spodiopygia
Pacific Swallow Hirundo tahitica
White-collared Kingfisher Todiramphus chloris Breeding
Island Thrush Turdus poliocephalus
Lesser Shrikebill Clytorhynchus vitiensis Breeding
Vanikoro Broadbill Myiagra vanikorensis
Golden Whistler Pachycephala pectoralis Collected by Whitney Expedition, but not observed by me
Silvereye Zosterops lateralis Common, breeding
Orange-breasted Myzomela Myzomela jugularis Very common
Common Mynah Acridotheres tristis About 5-10 birds in Nakodu village; 1 in Sinuvaca, 1 in Naqaidamu, 2 reported Batiri Estate; 3 flying across Dere Bay
Polynesian Starling Aplonis tabuensis
Fiji Woodswallow Artamus mentalis Collected by Whitney Expedition, but not observed by me
Wandering Tattler Heteroscelus incanus Two only
Crested Tern Sterna bergii
White-naped Tern Sterna sumatrana Breeding
Red-footed Booby Sula sula Single bird seen flying offshore

Trip Reports - Koro Island

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