THE SILENT FOREST

This is the sad story of the birds of Guam.  Guam is a territory of the United States of America and has been since the Spanish-American War in 1898.  It is part of the Mariana Islands group in the South Pacific.  The Island was occupied by the Japanese during the Second World War.  Fierce battles occurred on the island in 1944 when it was recaptured by the United States.

The Brown Tree Snake enters Guam

After the war, lumber was imported from Australia or New Guinea to rebuilt the devastated island.  Unfortunately, there was a stowaway in the lumber in the form of the Brown Tree Snake.  This snake is native to northern Australia, Papua New Guinea and many small islands both east and west of PNG.  Previously, there were no snakes on Guam.  The birds of Guam had no instinct or knowledge to protect themselves from snakes.  Before the arrival of the Brown Tree Snake, there were two endemic birds and several native species.  Of the 18 species of forest birds on Guam, seven are gone, two exist only in captivity, six are rare and three are uncommon.

 

Photo on left courtesy of Snakes of the Whitsundays.

Photo on right courtesy of Snakesense.

The Birds of Guam

Guam Flycatcher – Endemic to Guam.  Extinct.  Last seen in 1984.

Guam Rail – Endemic to Guam.  Exists only in captivity.

Mariana Fruit Dove – Endemic to the Mariana Islands.  Last seen on Guam in 1985.  Still exists on other islands in the Marianas but this could depend on the spread of the Brown Tree Snake to other islands.

Bridled White-eye – Native species.   Not seen since 1983.

Rufous Fantail – Widespread throughout the South Pacific but the Guam sub-species was last seen in 1984.

Cardinal Honeyeater – Widespread throughout the South Pacific but the Guam sub-species was last seen in 1984.

White-throated Ground-dove – Endemic to the Mariana Islands.  The Guam sub-species was last seen in 1986.

Nightingale Reed-warbler – Endemic to the Mariana Islands.  The Guam sub-species was last seen in 1970.  It is endangered on the other Mariana Islands.

Not only birds are affected.  Five species of native lizards have also disappeared.  The snakes also eat bats.  Spiders have also been affected.  Without birds to eat them, Guam now has 40 times as many spiders as neighbouring islands.

Today if you walk through the forest on Guam, you won’t hear the bird songs.  The forest is silent and you will need a stick to beat down the thousands of spider webs.

What is being done about this situation?  You will be surprised.  Click here.