Saipan bridled white-eyes released on Sarigan

The Division of Fish and Wildlife and collaborating biologist from world-renowned zoos have completed the historic translocation of 50 Saipan bridled white-eyes, Nosa (Zosterops conspicillata saypani) to the island of Sarigan. The purpose of the translocations is to protect from extinction unique, endemic Mariana bird species that only occur on a few of the Mariana Islands.

The Nosa is found on Saipan, Tinian and Aguiguan but is extinct on Guam due to the invasive and introduced brown tree snake. Current research has shown that the population of the Nosa on Saipan has remained stable for the past 10 years. Therefore, it was as good candidate for the first experimental trial prior to pursuing translocations of birds that are declining more rapidly.

For several endemic birds, the Saipan population is crucial as it is the largest island of the Northern Mariana Islands and several bird species are limited in distribution throughout the islands. The Golden white-eye, Canario (Cleptornis marchei) is only found on Aguiguan and Saipan; the Tinian Monarch, Chichirikan Tinian (Monarcha takatsukasae) only found on Tinian; and the Nightingale Reed warbler, Gaga Karisu (Acrocephalus luscinia) only occurs on Saipan and Alamagan.

The 50 Saipan Nosa traveled via helicopter in wood boxes especially designed and custom-built by the curator of the Honolulu Zoo, Peter Luscomb. Ornithologist and veterinarian Dr. Thierry Work of the USGS accompanied the birds in order to administer treatment if they should become stressed and require resuscitation. They were met on Sarigan by DFW biologists who released the Nosa and will monitor the population for several days.

This translocation is part of the larger Marianas Avian Conservation Project, or MAC Project. The project, established four years ago, is a collaboration between the Division of Fish and Wildlife and biologists from the Honolulu Zoo, Memphis Zoo, St. Louis Zoo, Louisville Zoo, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the United States Geological Survey. The MAC Project aims to conserve and promote appreciation for bird species endemic to the Mariana islands.

In addition to the translocation, the MAC project for the third year collected bird species for use in their avian exhibits. This year Golden white-eyes, and White throated ground doves, Paluman apaka or fachi (Gallicolumba xanthonura) were collected. In the past three year the MAC Project has taken into captivity at the zoos Marianas fruit doves, Totot (Ptilinopus roseicapilla), Saipan bridled white-eyes, Golden white-eyes Canario, and White throated ground doves.

The MAC Project was initiated by the Division in 2003 after brown tree snake sightings in Kagman and Fina Sisu. There have been 77 credible sightings and 13 documented BTS captures in the CNMI since 1982. The brown tree snake—an introduced invasive predator harmful to native birds and humans—is responsible for the extinction on Guam of unique bird species found only in the Mariana Islands. The brown tree snake has cost Guam millions of dollars of public utility repair expenses annually, can be dangerous to children, has ruined any potential ecotourism based on unique fauna, and may have long term ecological consequence to the environment of Guam. [B][I](DFW)[/I][/B]