SCOLOPACIDAE (TATTLEFS, CURLEWS, GODWITS )

I. CHAR4DRIIDAIC (TURNSTONES AND PLOVERS)

11. SCOLOPACIDAE (TATTLEFS, CURLEWS, GODWITS )

31. Heteroscelus incanus incanus.

L i t a i .

( ~ a p o ; K i l i k i l i t a i ; Vivitai; Tulitainamo)

Wandering T a t t l e r . K i r i r i

Variously named i n d i f f e r e n t E l l i c e Islands, t h i s b i r d has b u t one Gilbertese name which i s adapted from i t s common cry when alarmed, a r i p - p l i n g ' k i - r e e - r e e ' , sometimes repeated once o r t v i c e . It i s a very

inconspicuous b i r d when s h e l t e r i n g mong the rocks and dead c o r a l along t h e coasts at high t i d e , the' greys of i t s plumage harmonising exceedingly w e l l with i t s surroundings. However, a s i t s English name " T a t t l e r " sug- gests, it is e a s i l y frightened and takes t o f l i g h t u t t e r i n g t h e character- i s t i c Trarning c r y a t a s h r i l l p i t c h and thereby s e t t i n g other b i r d s on the a l e r t .

The b i r d i s dark grey above and has s o f t bluish-grey wavy l i n e s on a pale grey o r whitish background on t h e underparts; the b i l l i s f a i r l y long, s t r a i g h t and dark grey, while the l e g s a r e d u l l yellow. There i s a con- spicuous l i g h t s u p e r c i l i a r y s t r e a k and a dark grey eye s t r e a k from the base of the b i l l .

It generally feeds alone on t h e edge of the t i d e o r on mud f l a t s b u t often wades out i n t o shallo~,r water i n search of food; a t high t i d e l a r g e r groups r e s t together among the rocks o r i n the shade of mangrove bushes.

On one occasion a T a t t l e r rras observed perching on a high coconut frond, and when frightened o f f it f l e v back t o another coconut t r e e .

I n t h e E l l i c e the cry of t h e T a t t l e r i n t h e evening i s regarded by t h e t a u t a i ( f i s h i n g - c a p t a i n s ) as a good omen f o r t h e catching of bonito (guthynnus y a i t o ) the next day. T a t t l e r s a r e well-known on a l l islands;

they leave a b o x R p r i l f o r the northern breeding grounds, where they n e s t on gravel bars i n Alaska; t h e eggs a r e so well camouflaged t h a t only tvo n e s t s have been found, one i n 1923 and another i n 1939.

32. Heteroscelus incanus brevipes. Grey-tailed T a t t l e r . ( A s i a t i c ~ a t t l e r )

No d i s t i n c t vernacular names e x i s t f o r t h i s c l o s e l y r e l a t e d race, which appears t o be but an occasional v i s i t o r t o these i s l a n d s . The two a r e b a r e l y distinguishable i n winter plumage i n the f i e l d . The upper- p a r t s tend t o be s l i g h t l y l i g h t e r grey, and n o t so uniform i n colour; a l s o the n a s a l groove i s somewhat s h o r t e r , and t h e wingspan s l i g h t l y smaller.

I n breeding plumage t h e b a r r i n g on t h e underparts i s l e s s pronounced and does n o t cover t h e l o w r b e l l y and under t a i l - c o v e r t s . They appear t o have similar h a b i t s t o H . i . incanus, except t h a t the c a l l i s d i f f e r e n t , being a kind of "ki-leep", very s h r i l l y and repeated s e v e r a l times, t h e

second note being higher i n p i t c h . These were c l o s e l y observed only a t Tarava, but may occur elsewhere.

33.

Dmeoius t a h i t i e n s i s . B r i s t l e -thi@ed Curlew.

Founga

.

(Icove )

Largest of t h e migratory waders, t h i s handsome b i r d i s e a s i l y

recognised n o t only by i t s s i z e b u t a l s o by t h e very long curved b i l l tiid haunting c r y from which i t s Gilbertese name i s derived.

he

l i s t i n g of t h e Mhimbrel, N. phaeopus variegatus by t40ul a t Gnotoa appears t o be a mis-identification; it i s possible t h a t an occasional !,?li.mbrel w i l l be seen i n t h e Colony, although not recorded by t h e present w r i t e r a s no b i r d s were s h o t f o r specimens; they a r e somewhat s i m i l a r t o Curlews i n t h e f i e l d ;

the Curleri, however, may be distinguished by i t s c h a r a c t e r i s t i c cry, much longer b i l l , bolder colouring with more rufous tinges, darker a x i l l a r i e s and s l i g h t l y l a r g e r s i z e

-

I have confirmed a l l these f e a t u r e s from cbser- vations a s close a s 15 yards, with c a r e f u l s t a l k i n g a s t h e b i r d s a r e vary and e a s i l y frightened. )

Occasional b i r d s may be seen on a l l i s l a n d s a t any time of the year b u t a r e most common from about l a t e August t o A p r i l o r May when they leave again f o r t h e i r breeding grounds i n Western Alaska; the first n e s t s were n o t discovered till 1948

-

they a r e mere hollo%rs i n t h e tundra moss; four eggs a r e usually l a i d , d u l l greenish-buff i n ground colour with grey and brotrn markings.

Adults have the upperparts speckled v i t h l i g h t and dark broms; t h e underparts a r e pale buff, almost white under the t a i l ; the plumage has a d i s t i n c t rufous tinge, and i n summer breeding dress t h e males have stronger reddish-brown on t h e neck and b r e a s t . There i s a pale l i n e along t h e mid- cro.cm and another above each eye, and a dark brown l i n e through each eye,

so t h a t the head has a very s t r i p e d appearance; the b i l l i s pinkish a t t h e base fading t o grey towards the t i p , curved strongly down~iards and

4-5

inches long; the l e g s a r e long, s t e e l y blue-grey i n colour, and t h e r e i s a s h o r t hind t o e .

Curlew hunt f o r foad s i n g l y o r i n p a i r s on t i d a l mudflats o r on the reef a t low t i d e , poking t h e i r long b i l l s i n t o crevices f o r crustaceans and r.rorms; they a l s o have a curious h a b i t of breaking open s h e l l f i s h and hermit

crabs by swinging them around (always clockwise viewed from behind) and dashing them open on a rock. S o l i t a r y b i r d s a r e occasionally seen inland where they feed on i n s e c t s and Scaevola b e r r i e s , and a l s o on t h e sliinks of which t h e Plovers a r e so fond. On some P a c i f i c islands Curlews have been observed s t e a l i n g and e a t i n g f r e s h l y l a i d eggs of t e r n s and other

seabirds. For drinking seawater the b i l l was placed sideways i n a pool, l i f t e d out and held above the head f o r a few seconds, t h e operation being repeated s e v e r a l times. On the other hand Godwits lover t h e head and b i l l d i r e c t l y down horizontally i n t o the water and lift up again with a s l i g h t scooping a c t i o n . No doubt these two a c t i o n s a r e governed by the character- i s t i c shapes of the b i l l s .

The haunting cry, something l i k e "Biu-vee", c a r r i e s f a r across +he rnudflats, and is frequefltly hear& during f l i g h t . A t high t i d e the b i r d s

a r e quiet and wary, and take s h e l t e r i n small groups of s i x o r so on a dry rocky o r gravelly s p i t , often under t h e cover of shrubs, and never i n +he edge of the t i d e l i k e some other species. They r o o s t occasionally an the lowest branches of mangroves.

34. Limosa lapponica baueri. P a c i f i c Godwit.

(Eastern Ear-tailed ~ o d w i t ) Kaka

.

S l i g h t l y smaller i n s i z e than t h e Curlew, the Godwit is more grey- i s h i n plumage colour and may be e a s i l y distinguished by i t s long, almost s t r a i g h t ( s l i g h t l y upcurved) b i l l , which i s longer i n males. When b i r d s a r r i v e i n the Colony about mid-October they a r e t h i n and pale-coloured i n t h e i r winter plumage; a f t e r a few months' p l e n t i f u l supply of food, how- ever, they a r e plump b i r d s by March o r A p r i l when they leave aghin f o r the north; some males have by t h i s time a handsome b r e a s t of reddish-brocm f o r the breeding season.

The Godwit i s seen c h i e f l y on t i d e 1 mudflats, singly o r i n small groups; a t high t i d e l a r g e r flocks of up t o 50 b i r d s may be found gathered on a dry s p i t o r i s l e t . Its food c o n s i s t s of t i n y s h e l l f i s h , o t h e r

crustaceans and marine rrorms; it i s amusing t o watch a Godwit poke i t s b i l l down a hole i n the rmd and then run around i t s b i l l t r y i n g t o l o c a t e t h e d i r e c t i o n of the prey i n the hole. On one occasion a Godwit passed along the ocean beach within f i v e yards of where I was s i t t i n g ; it was feeding on the small &host-crabs which it dug o u t of t h e i r burrow i n the sand, with the t i d e ebbing, and a t i n t e r v a l s running down t o t h e d g e of the s e a t o wash i t s b i l l and have a short drink. On another s i m i l a r occasion a Godwit

was attended closely by two Turnstones vhich t r i p p e d i n smar3Zy under t h e

Godwit's head and s t o l e t h e prey when opportunity o f f e r r e d . By t h e end of November and u n t i l about t h e end of February they a r e comparatively uncommon, having presumably gone f u r t h e r south, and many l o c a l i n h a b i t a n t s have n o t r e a l i z e d t h e i r presence a t a l l , although thousand must pass

through the Colony on migration.

Godwits a r e f a i r l y common %n t h e G i l b e r t and E l l i c e groups b u t have not been reported from t h e Phoenix o r Line Islands, although s e v e r a l

observers have been i n those places vhen Goduits would be seen i f p r e s e n t . The w r i t e r v i s i t e d t h e inhabited islands (Canton, Sydney, Hull and ~ a r d n e r ) of the Phoenix group i n October, 1953, b u t d i d not record any Godwits. I t

seems l i k e l y , however, t h a t a few s t r a g g l e r s may touch on the Phoenix group, b u t probably not t h e Liae Islands which a r e 700 miles f a r t h e r e a s t .

Stickney's map showing t h e probable e a s t e r n l i m i t s of t h e wintering range includes t h e Phoenix group t ~ i t h o u t , however, any observational evidence.

Balrer records t h a t t h e Godwit reaches Australasia by migrating t o a g r e a t e x t e n t along t h e edge of the A s i a t i c continent, and t h a t it probably

reaches e a s t e r n Micronesia a s an uncommon v i s i t o r , since it i s occasionally recorded i n t h e Bawaiian Islands. HoT?ever, evidence assembled i n

1954

by Stiiiolph i n d i c a t e s t h a t the main migration roxte t o and from New Zealand i s f u r t h e r t o t h e e a s t than has h i t h e r t o been supposed ("riel1 t o t h e

eastward of the Solomons"); my OIM observations i n the G i l b e r t and E l l i c e I s l a r d s ~ r o u l d add support t o t h i s view.

Their n e s t s have been found i n Eastern S i b e r i a and Alaska; they a r e shallow depr+ssions i n t a e marshy ground, l i n e d v i t h reindeer moss and g r a s s . Four mottled eggs a r e l a i d about June, and by August o r e a r l i e r t h e young b i r d s a r e ready t o make t h e long journey south, some t h e nine thousand miles t o New Zealand.

35.

E r o l i a r u f i c o l l i s r u f i c o l l i s . Red-necked S t i n t . (Eastern L i t t l e S t i n t ) Man7u o t e a f a .

This i s t h e smallest trader recorded by the v r i t e r i n t h e Colony, being only 6 inches o r l e s s i n length and of correspandingly s l i g h t b u i l d . Its neck i s very s h o r t and, during t h e quick d a r t i n g feeding movements c h a r a c t e r i s t i c of t h e species, the head seems t o be bobbing continuously i n search of prey. Groups of up t o 22 were observed on r e e f s o r mudflats a t lev t i d e , o f t e n mingled with and p a r t l y concealed by l a r g e r groups of Turnstones. The rufous shades of t h e breeding plumages a r e o f t e n more not- iceable than t h e greys of the winter d r e s s .

One o r two b i r d s which vere otherwise indistinguishable from t h e above at a distance but which had yellowish ( i n s t e a d of grey o r black) l e g s may have been t h e Least Sandpiper, E r o l i a minuta.

36. E r o l i a acuminata. Skarp-tailed Sandpiper.

(Siberian Pectoral sandpiper)

As with many other species of uncommon v i s i t o r s , t h e r e appear t o be no d i s t i n c t vernacular names f o r t h i s Sandpiper. Somewhat l e s s com- mon than t h e S t i n t , but not e x a c t l y r a r e (on Tarawa a t l e a s t ) , t h i s b i r d

i s f a i r l y easy t o approach within f i v e yards o r so. The slender bo*, rufous-brown crown, buff margins on brownish upperparts, greyish-fawn b r e a s t , white b e l l y , d u l l olive-green l e g s and slender black b i l l were

f i e l d c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s e a s i l y distinguished through binoculars a t t h i s range. I n f l i g h t whitish undercrings with gfeyish edges and white a x i l - l a r i e s were v i s i b l e ; there i s a l s o a p a l e inconspicuous upper wing-bar.

On f l y i n g o f f t h e c a l l xias a quick "twee-twee-twee" o r "chwee-chwee-chwee".

On s e v e r a l occasions groups of up t o 34 i n number were watched feeding on the s o f t red a l g a l mud bordering brackish pools; another

frequented h a b i t a t was the dry sparsely-grassed a r e a of t h e school sports f i e l d a t Bikenibeu, Tarawa, from which t h e b i r d s appeared t o be obtaining small i n s e c t s . The Golden Plovers which considered t h i s a r e a t h e i r p r i - v a t e t e r r i t o r y often chased t h e Sandpipers o f f , even t o the e x t e n t of pecking out a few f e a t h e r s .

The only other record i n t h e Colony i s of 4 specimens c o l l e c t e d by the Vhitney Expedition a t Canton on March 14th, 1924.

37. Crocethia alba. Sanderling.

The observed r a r i t y of t h i s attractive l i t t l e wader i n these i s l a n d s i s i n agreement with Stickney's e a r l i e r r e p o r t (1943) based on c o l l e c t i o n s from the Whitney Expedition. Only two individual b i r d s were observed by t h e present w r i t e r i n three years. Both of these were a t Tarawa, on Nov- ember 8 and December

17.

King observed one a t Christmas I s l a n d on November

7;

the i4hitney Expedition included one male from Canton on March 1 2 and one female from Sydney i s l a n d on March 21.

One of the b i r d s I observed was feeding on the reef a t low t i d e among Turnstones 'rhile t h e other was alone on a sandy lagoon beach feeding a t t h e edge of t h e t i d e and running b u s i l y back and f o r t h with each wave; no c a l l s vere heard.

The Sanderling i s s l i g h t l y l a r g e r (about 8 inches) and more plump than the S t i n t . I n winter plumage i t s very pale greyish upperparts, white face and white underparts, s h o r t i s h black l e g s and black b i l l make it f a i r l y easy t o identify; it is the p a l e s t o v e r a l l of the waders seen. A r a t h e r prominent broad pale median wing-stripe i s v i s i b l e i n f l i & t .

It appears t h a t the Sanderling i s an uncommon v i s i t o r over t h e whole Colony from October t o March. Since i t s wintering range i s world- xide it i s puzzling t h a t it i s not seen i n g r e a t e r numbers.

111. CUCULIDAE (CUCKOOS)

38.

Urodynamis t a i t e n s i s

.

Long-tailed New Zealand Cuckoo.

Kabane i

.

About the time (~ugust-September) when t h e f i r s t Arctic v i s i t o r s a r e beginning t o a r r i v e t h e Cuckoo s e t s o f f on a long soutbern journey t o

spend the l a t e spring and smmer i n New Zealand where it bmeds. The e a r l i - e s t date of i t s r e t u r n vhich the w r i t e r noted at Tarawa was March 20th.

According t o a Gilbertese l e g a d t h i s b i r d l a y s not on t h e ground o r i n t r e e s but f l i e s s o high i n t o the sky and the egg takes s o long t o f a l l t h a t t h e youngster has hatched and i s able t o f l y on reaching the ground again.

A s i m i l a r b e l i e f was held about t h e n e s t i n g of some other migratory b i r d s such a s t h e Curlew. The Marshallese have s i m i l a r legends t o account f o r reproduction among t h e i r b i r d migrants.

Another saying of the Gilbertese, e s p e c i a l l y i n t h e southern i s l a n d s of t h e drought b e l t , i s t h a t when t h e harsh c r y of t h e cuckoo is heard i n thebush, r a i n i s n o t f a r o f f . I n t h e Phoenix t h e b i r d i s more r a r e and

there i s a b e l i e f t h a t i f the cuckoo's cry i s heard above a house one of the occupants w i l l be s t r i k e n with severe stomach pains.

The Cuckoo i s a b i r d of the forest and only b r i e f glimpses of it a r e obtained during i t s s t r a i g h t and s w i f t f l i g h t from one palm-top t o another, o r perhaps for longer periods during feeding. m e of i t s favour- i t e h a b i t a t s i s among the open flower-spikes of the coconut palm o r near the sap-collecting ~ u r d s , ("toddy-shells") around which t h e r e a r e p l e n t y of f l i e s , ants, and o t h e r i n s e c t s which form i t s main d i e t . The b i r d i s e a s i l y recognised by i t s hawk-like appearance, long tail, and by the characic.r&tic harsh repeated whistle. This cry i s heard a t night a s well a s &ring the day b u t the exact l o c a t i o n of the o r i g i n a t o r i s o f t e n

a i f f i c u l t t o pinpoint.

According t o Baker the northern l i m i t of i t s migratory range i s i n the Carolines and Marshalls, being more common i n t h e l a t t e r group. This d i s t r i b u t i o n seems t o be i n agreement with observations f o r t h i s Colony, where it i s more common i n the E l l i c e than i n the Gilberts, rather uncom- mon i n a e p l a n t a t i o n i s l a n d s of the Phoenix (Sydney, H u l l , ~ a r d n e r ) ,

and appews t o be unknorin on the o t h e r (almost t r e e l e s s ) i s l a n d s of the Phoenix, inclurling Cancan. There have been no authentic r e p o r t s from the Line Islands; one GiLbertese native informant t o l d me a few v i s i t e d

Christmas and Fanning. I t s greater numbers i n the E l l i c e , which l i e within a heavier r a i n b e l t , may be p a r t l y due t o the more dense bush there,

affording more cover and probably grea%er food supplies. Its main v i n t e r range i s e a s t e r n and c e n t r a l Polynesia, and F i j i .

It appears t h a t a t l e a s t w e e species of migratory ducks from t h e New World v i s i t i s l a n d s as f a r south a s the E l l i c e group q u i t e regularly,

though not i n l a r g e numbers a t any one time. Unidentified ducks v i s i t i n g Fanning (Kirby, 1925 and King,

1954)

during the northern autumn were prob- ably of one o r more of these t h r e e species. Since t h e places they frequent on the a t o l l s a r e usually r a t h e r secluded it i s d i f f i c u l t t o a s s e s s t h e i r numbers, d i s t r i b u t i o n and seasons ( i f any). They a r e seen on freshwater ponds, brackish inland pools and on t h e stagnant water o r i n t h e v i c i n i t y

O f the sunken garden p i t s i n which "babai" (Cyrtosperma chamissonis) i s c u l t i v a t e d . Apparently they h v e not been hunted f o r food by the native peoples and, although they seem t o be known on a l l islands, no d i s t i n c t i o n

i s given i n vernacular names t o t h e two species which I have seen. Since ducks a r e very adaptable i n feeding and breeding h a b i t s there i s the pos- s i b i l i t y Of nesting occurring i n t h e Colony. Sharpe and Whitmee (1878) obtained 3 eggs of a duck i n t h e E l l i c e b u t no other d e t a i l s were given.

Bailey quotes a man at Canton who reported seeing a n e s t with eggs of t h e Mallard i n June, 1953.

39. Anas acuta t z i t z i h o a . P i n t a i l .

v

?

Tristram reported a species of P i n t a i l (Dafila

--

modesta) from Sydney Island i n 1886. This appears ibo be the same species a s the present

Anas acuta. King sighted one o r two of these occasionally on ponds near

--

the a i r f i e l d a t Christmas Island (1954), and a flock of 20 thought t o be P i n t a i l s f l y i n g i n off the ocean from the northeast on November 18.

I t has n o t been reported from the G i l b e r t and E l l i c e groups, and

!,ras not sighted there by the present w r i t e r .

40. Anas platphynchos platyrhynchos

.

^Mallard.

Toloa. Tiriwenei.

A female of t h i s species was brought i n t o me from a babai p i t a t Tarawa on 16th October. It appeared t o be r a t h e r weak and i n poor cond- i t i o n but not injured i n any way. Other s i n g l e b i r d s and p a i r s were seen a t various i s l a n d s i n both the G i l b e r t and E l l i c e groups from September t o Cecember. From the few observations made and from the r e p o r t s of other w r i t e r s t h i s seems t o be the main a r r i v a l period, and April t o June t h e departure time, although some may remain i n t h i s area the whole year round.

41.

Spatula clypeata.

ToLOa.

Shovelller

.

Tiriwenei

.

These ducks a l s o seem t o be regular b u t not common v i s i t o r s t o a l l i s l a n d s . TWO drakes i n f u l l colour were seen on 2nd April on freshwater ponds near the o l d a i r s t r i p a t Bonriki, Tarava. They were not e a s i l y ap- proached but, a f t e r taking t o the a i r s e v e r a l times, always returned t o the same s t r e t c h of water. Ducks of t h i s species have been observed at C a t o n and other i s l a n d s of the Phoenix group.

APPENDIX A: PROTECTED BIRDS:

The follovring b i r d s a r e protected under tne CJild Birds Protection Ordinance of 13th October, 1921.

( i ) Birds protected the vhole year:

White Tern, Black-naped Tern, Cresked Tern, Brown-winged Tern.

Brown Noddy, Black Noddy, Blue-grey IYoddy

.

Blue -faced Booby.

Greater Frigate-Bird.

Red-tailed Tropic-Bird, White-tailed Tropic-Bird.

Dusky Shearwater.

Reef Heron.

( i i ) Birds protected p a r t of the year:

Brown Booby: December t o April.

Turnstone :

P a c i f i c Golden Plover:

Bristle-thighed Curlew:

P a c i f i c Godwit:

September t o Pebruary September t o February.

November t o $ugus%.

September t o February.

WENDIX B: SOW COMMON TREE3 ASSOCIATED IQTH BIRDS:

Cocos nucifera

Gilbertese: E l l i c e :

Coconut palm D J i Niu

Pandanus t e c t o r i u s Pandanus Kaina Fala

Scaevola s e r i c e a Salthush Ma0 Ngasu

Tournefortia argent;ea Umbrella-tree Ren Tausunu

Cordia subcordata

-

^{Kanawa Kanava}

Pisonia grandis

-

^{Buka pulra}

Guettarda speciosa

-

^{U r i ~ u a}

Pemphis a c i 5 u l a Ironvood Ngea Ngie

Calophyllum inophyllum Tamanu-tree I t a i Fetau

Artocarpus spp. Breadfruit lviai Matalafi ( 1 )

Rhizophora mucronata Mangrove Tongo ?

Morinda c i t r i f o l i a Malay Custard- Fon Nonu apple

Ficus t i n c t o r i a Fig Bero Felo

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