The Threatened Birds of the French Overseas Territories Red Data Book lists the main threats to the species of French Polynesia, and a list of invasive species can be found at the ISSG site :

Effect of alien animal species
- Introduced mammals
The first dogs and pigs arrived with the Polynesians and took their toll on both flightless (Rails) and ground nesting birds. These were followed by the black rats and cats introduced by European settlers which also predate on birds that nest in trees. The black rat, Rattus rattus, a good tree climber is responsible for the rarefaction and extinction of parrots and lorikeets and also of the drastic decline of small passerine birds as the Monarchs.
- Introduced birds
Birds introduced for economic reasons such as bio-control species (Common Mynah), or as pets (Red-vented Bulbul), compete with indigenous species for food and nesting sites. Some introduced species such as the Swamp Harrier and Horned Owl predate on indigenous species, while others can act as vectors for avian diseases (avian malaria, avian influenza).
- Introduced insects
Some introduced insects are threatening biodiversity. Some of them were imported purposedly like bees (Apis mellifica) whose wild broods compete with species nesting in hole inside dead trees. Other arthropod species arrived accidentally like the little fire ant Wasmannia auropunctata who kills chicks at nest.

Habitat destruction
- Deforestation and Fire
Logging of natural forests, fires to clear bush for agriculture and colonial coconut plantations have drastically modified the natural ecosystems of forest bird species by reducing and fragmenting their natural habitats.
We do not have quantitative data on the forest reduction, and original forests are only present inside the valleys nowadays.
On Tahiti, the mid-level primary forest is only found in some protected places, on the west and east coast. theses relict forests are now trheatened by the invasion of Miconia. In the other archipelagos the forest is also reduced to small patches; in the Marquesas, dry forests are now very scarce; the Gambier mostly bear savana type vegetation, in the Austral islands, especially on Tubuai and Rurutu, mountains are only covered with ferns and newly planted Carraib pines.
In the Tuamotu, coconut plantations took the place of the native Gatae forest (Pisonia grandis) and motus are often burn to creat new plantations, even on atolls where all coconut plantations are not used.
- Overgrazing
Introduced by the Europeans and quickly back to a feral state, herds of cattle, goats and sheeps devastated whole islands especially in the Marquesas (Eiao) but also in Rapa and the Gambier, destroying the initial cover and natural habitat of many species.
- Developments
Significant habitat destruction has occurred as a result of development, particularly extraction from rivers and the deforestation of river banks and adjacent forest areas that provided shelter for species such as Little Green-backed Heron.
- Exotic tree plantations
Plantations of exotic trees (ie, Caribbean Pine) grown for timber favour introduced species and do not provide appropriate habitat or food for indigenous birds.

Disturbance and over exploitation
- Hunting and collecting by man
The first polynesian settlers hunted the biggest birds: mostly seabirds and giant pigeons whose bone remains have been found in ancient archeological layers. Hunting is now prohibited but species such as pigeons and ducks still suffer from poaching. The harvesting of seabird eggs and chicks is still carried out on a more or less large scale in the Tuamotu Archipelago and the Marquesas Archipelago where it has been facilitated by the introduction of outboard motors.
Red feather were a symbol of power and royalty in the past times and so all birds with that color were highly prized and overexploited leading most of them to extinction. Nowadays illegal bird trade (and most especially parrots) is not considered as a major threat for the lorikeets survival even if some isolated cases are documented.
- Tourism
The development of poorly managed ecotourist activities around seabird colonies has led to considerable damage by stressing birds, causing them to desert eggs and to neglect chicks.

Natural disasters and climate change
Cyclones are a rare but increasing event in Polynesia and can have a negative impact on very small bird populations. Rising sea levels due to climate change caused by the greenhouse effect could lead to the disappearance of most of the coral atolls in French Polynesia.

MARQUESAS IMPERIAL PIGEON UPE Don't hunt it		BROWN BOOBY KENA Don't disturb it
BLUE LORIKEET VINI Don't sell it		LITTLE GREEN-BACKED HERON A'O Let's protect its habitat

In conclusion, each of these harmful effects has a single origin - Man - whose impact increases with economic and population growth. Indeed, the human population has doubled in forty years.

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The IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals is internationally recognised as the definitive list categorising the status of globally threatened animal species. It provides taxonomic, conservation status and distribution information on species that have been evaluated using the IUCN Red List categories. This system is designed to determine relative risk of extinction, and the main purpose of the Red List is to catalogue the species that are regarded as threatened at global level.
Exchuding birds belonging to the "least concern" category (lc) we count 53 threatened species on the "Red Lists" belonging to EX, CR, EN, VU et NT categories.
27 of these are now defenitively extinct (11) or only rare vagrant and erratics (16).
Consequently 23 species are endangered : 5 critically endangered (CR), 8 endangered (EN) and 10 vulnérable (VU) in French Polynesia and 3 more species are near threatened (NT).
5 of them are seabirds and the other 21 are landbirds (including one regular migratory bird)
20 species of terrestrial birds (excluding the Bristle-tighed Curlew) out of the 32 present ones are on these "Red Lists".
All the threatened species (except the Bristle-tighed Curlew) are endemic : 70% of the terrestrial endemic species are threatened .

In 2008 and 2009, 5 species changed category: The Upe (Marquesan Imperial-pigeon) was downgraded from category CR to EN (following the good results of the reintroduction of the bird on Ua Huka) and Kotue (Marquesas Ground-dove) from EN to VU (after the census carried out by MANU during IBA program); on the other hand the Pahi (Marquesan Kingfisher) has been upgraded from EN to CR and the 'Otatare (Tahiti Reed-warbler) has been upgraded from VU to EN because of constant reduction in numbers on Tahiti.

Critically endangered species (CR)
A taxon is Critically Endangered when the best available evidence indicates that it meets any of the criteria A to E for Critically Endangered (see Red List Categories and Criteria booklet for details) and it is therefore considered to be facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.

Endangered species (EN)
A taxon is Endangered when the best available evidence indicates that it meets any of the criteria A to E for Endangered (see Red List Categories and Criteria booklet for details), and it is therefore considered to be facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild.

Vulnerable species (VU)
A taxon is Vulnerable when the best available evidence indicates that it meets any of the criteria A to E for Vulnerable (see Red List Categories and Criteria booklet for details), and it is therefore considered to be facing a high risk of extinction in the wild.

Near threatened species (NT)
A taxon is Near Threatened when it has been evaluated against the criteria but does not qualify for Critically Endangered, Endangered or Vulnerable now, but is close to qualifying for or is likely to qualify for a threatened category in the near future.

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