Guam Flycatcher

Guam Monarch, photographed on Mount Santa Rosa on Guam in 1948

The Guam Monarch ( Myiagra freycineti ), also known as Guam flycatcher, an extinct Singvogelart from the family of the monarch is ( Monarchidae ). He was endemic to the Marianas island of Guam. At times he was considered a subspecies of the Carolines monarch ( Myiagra oceanica ).

Features

The Guam Monarch reached a size of 13 cm. In adult birds the head and neck were bluish with a metallic luster. Back and upper wing-coverts were greenish blue. The rump was greenish blue with a gray blurring. Chin and throat were white. The chest was bright cinnamon. The tail was blue-gray. Beak, legs and feet were black. The iris was dark brown.

Habitat and behavior

The species inhabited almost all habitats on Guam, with the exception of the southern savannas. Insidious he scanned the thick vegetation for insects. The Guam Monarch was observed frequently in association with the also extinct Guam Fox fantail ( Rhipidura rufifrons uraniae ), but he preferred the higher canopy in search of food. Hatched was obviously throughout the year, with the main breeding season from January to June was lower and breeding activity was recorded especially in November and December. The well-hidden nest was built of bark, lichens, grasses thin, slime and cobwebs. The nest consisted of one or two dark cream-colored eggs with reddish brown spots and stains. The area has been aggressively defended, even against much larger birds, such as the Carolines -Star ( Aplonis opaca ). The Guam monarch could be located by his loud contact call, which included a series of one to six whistles.

Extinction

Prior to 1950, Guam was the Monarch, apart from the southern plains, spread to the whole of Guam. From 1971, he was only on the northern plateau, mainly below the cliff in the woods breadfruit ( Artocarpus ) limited, where, however, he often seemed. Over the next ten years was a massive decline of the species, so that 1981 430 copies and early 1983, less than 100 specimens were counted in the river basin of the Pajon. A single male was observed in October 1983 only. This individual was captured for the purpose of building a conservation breeding program. Trying this type thereby save them from extinction, however, proved to be a failure because it was not possible to detect additional copies of Guam monarch. On May 15, 1984, the males died for unknown reasons. Epidemics may have played a role as the last population was virtually wiped out within six months. The decisive factor for the extinction of Guam monarch is likely to be almost certainly the predation by the brown tree snake ( Boiga irregularis ) have been, which was introduced in the 1940s on Guam and is a serious threat for the local avifauna.

Bellows are in the Bernice P. Bishop Museum in Honolulu, in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC and the Museum Naturalis in Leiden kept. A nest and eggs are in the Bernice P. Bishop Museum.