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Conservation status and biology of the Ultramarine Lorikeet Vini ultramarina in the Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2021

TAMMY DOUKAS Open the ORCID record for TAMMY DOUKAS [Opens in a new window]  and
MARK ZIEMBICKI
TAMMY DOUKAS*
Affiliation:
Wing and a Prayer Loriinae Preservation and Restoration, USA.
MARK ZIEMBICKI
Affiliation:
Bergview Estate, Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa.
*
*Author for correspondence; email: tdoukas@alumni.stanford.edu (Both authors contributed equally)
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Summary

Classified as Critically Endangered, the Ultramarine Lorikeet Vini ultramarina is one of the world’s most threatened lorikeet species. Endemic to the Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia, the species was formerly distributed over most islands in the archipelago, but is today found primarily on the island of Ua Huka, its range having contracted significantly in recent decades. Habitat alteration and loss, and over-exploitation of natural resources, are cited as impacting the Ultramarine Lorikeet, but the influence of introduced black rats Rattus rattus as predators has been implicated as the primary threat to the species. To assess population status and document aspects of the species biology, including habitat preferences and diet, we conducted the first systematic surveys of the species during two independent surveys spaced seven years apart (2002 and 2009). Population estimates of 2,011 ± 284 (in 2002) and 1,922 (in 2009) individuals on Ua Huka suggest the population was relatively healthy and stable between these periods. However, surveys and searches of other islands in the species’ contemporary range, where black rats occur, either failed to document the species or noted very few individuals. These findings highlight the critical importance of Ua Huka as a rat-free refuge and the value of our surveys as baseline estimates of the population status of the species. We discuss the conservation implications of our findings and propose recommendations to secure the species’ future survival.

Keywords

Vini ultramarinaUltramarine LorikeetMarquesas Islandsbird conservationUa HukaFatu HivaUa PouLoriinaeFrench Polynesia
Type
Research Article
Information
Bird Conservation International , Volume 32 , Issue 1 , March 2022 , pp. 111 - 126
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of BirdLife International

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