Talk title: The Marianas Avifauna Conservation Plan: Progress and Challenges in the Western Pacific
Abstract: The remote, unpopulated or sparsely populated islands in the northern half of the Mariana archipelago in the Western Pacific play an important role as a potential refuge for species at risk of disappearing from the human-dominated landscapes of the more southerly Mariana islands, due to introduction of the Brown Tree Snake or other anthropogenic threats. Over the last 14 years, the local Division of Fish and Wildlife and its partners have completed 11 translocations of five species of native forest birds to the islands of Sarigan, Guguan and Alamagan. We report preliminary results from follow up surveys to these islands, including independent colonization of the islands by some species. We present evidence that species-area relationship in the northern islands may influence the long-term viability of translocated populations. We also report preliminary results from new post-translocation monitoring efforts using automated recording units.