The birds of Bikini atoll, Marshall Islands: May 1986

Abstract

Field work conducted by the senior author at Bikini Atoll, Marshall Islands, in May 1986 yielded twenty-three species of birds; six of these were documented as nesting and an additional four species almost certainly nest as well. Six species were previously unrecorded for Bikini Atoll, and one of these, the Laughing Gull (Larus atricilla) was new to Micronesia. The recorded avifauna for Bikini Atoll now stands at twenty-six species. Major seabird colonies were located on Aomoen (and other northern islets), Nam, and Oroken/Jalete/Lukoj (and other southeastern islets). Scaevola and Tournefortia scrub and Pisonia grandis forests are the most frequently used habitats for nesting seabirds. Numerically, the most abundant breeding birds were the terns Anous minutus, A. stolidus and Gygis alba and the boobies Sula leucogaster and s. sula. Environmental rehabilitation options which minimize habitat alteration on the important nesting islets are recommended. Close monitoring and protection of seabird populations after Marshallese resettlement will guard against excessive disturbance and exploitation.