Marquesan Monarch

The Marquesas Monarch ( Pomarea mendozae ) is a species of bird in the family of the monarch, which is endemic to the Marquesas in the South Pacific. There are two sub- modes. The nominate P. m. mendozae from the islands of Hiva Oa and Tahuata considered extinct, the island race P. m. motanensis of Molopu is very rare.

Description

The Marquesas Monarch including the tail reaches a size of 170 mm, the wing length is 88-95 mm, tail length 70 to 79 millimeters, the beak First 17.8 millimeters, the beak length from the nostril from 11.6 to 12.5 mm and the walking foot 28 mm. The male is solid glossy black and has a bright blue beak. In the female the head is black and the rest of the body white. The feathers are black with a white border. The tail is mottled black on the terminal band. In the race motanensis the tail end has a pink to yellow-brown tint. The young birds are reddish brown.

Habitat and behavior

The Marquesas Monarch lives in different habitats such as dry forests with Pisonia trees ( Pisonia grandis), cloud forests and degraded forests in the coastal zone and in the valleys of altitudes. While the older birds prefer areas with dense, lush vegetation, the young birds keep frequently in bush -like, dry vegetation. The Marquesas Monarch feeds mainly on insects.

Status

The island of Hiva Oa race was during the Whitney South Sea Expedition in 1922 as often. There in 1975 a male for several weeks was last detected. On Tahuata he was last observed in 1922. The only stock today lives in a 13 square kilometer area on the island Mohotani. In 1975 there were 200 to 350 pairs. In 2000, the population dropped to 80 to 125 pairs.

Although the Marquesas Monarch is strictly protected Mohotani since 1968, it has a highly endangered species is still still make feral cats and overgrazing by sheep a major threat represents a large part of the vegetation of the Marquesas Islands is by overgrazing and fires destroyed. Much of the original dry forest has been converted to grassland and reduced the upland forest to a few forest patches. Another threat comes from the Pacific rat, Common Myna and the Great Horned Owl.