Absent from Ua Huka for hundreds of years, the Marquesan Imperial Pigeon (Ducula galeata) has been reintroduced by the Ornithological Society of Polynesia (MANU)
The Upe or Marquesan Imperial Pigeon is a giant pigeon measuring 55cm from bill to tail. It is beautiful grey bird with a green and red sheen on its plumage, and a spectacular white and grey-black cere protruding almost to the tip of the bill, making it pre-eminent amongst Polynesian avifauna.
The objective of the translocation operation carried out by members of Ornithological Society of Polynesia (MANU) was to establish a new population of Upe on the nearby island of Ua Huka by transferring individuals captured on Nuku Hiva, the last stronghold in the Marquesas where this Critically Endangered species survives.
Bone remains found at several archaeological sites in Ua Huka, Hiva Oa and Tahuata show that this species was present throughout the Marquesas Archipelago before the arrival of Polynesians. Following the arrival of Polynesians the species disappeared from all the islands except Nuku Hiva. It is also celebrated in Marquesan myths.
Nowadays this giant pigeon is confined to the valleys of the north-west coast of Nuku Hiva. .
Hunting, degradation of local forest, and invasive weeds, trees and predators are probably the cause of its decline during the 20th century.
In 1975, the population was estimated at about 300 ± 100 individuals according to Holyoak and Thibault. Two censuses carried out in 1993 and 1998 by the Zoological Society of San Diego and CIRAD indicate that its numbers remain low at between 75 and 300 individuals.
A threatened species facing medium-term extinction
The occurence of this species in only one island makes its situation extremely fragile. The arrival of a avian disease transmitted either by domestic pigeons or poultry imported on the island of Nuku Hiva, or by a introduced bird vector (such as the Mynah) could cause the brutal extinction of this last population, apart from other reasons of extinction referred above which threaten the survival of this species.
This situation has led MANU to propose and initiate a reintroduction programme on Ua Huka, in order to create a second population and to increase its distribution as has previously been done with Pihiti or Marquesan Lori (Vini ultramarina). Ua Huka island represents a viable effective refuge for Upe for several reasons :
1. Steadman and Olson (1985)
estimate that the species was formerly present on Ua Huka where intensive hunting
led to its extinction.
2. The valley of Vaiviki on the island of Ua Huka was classified as a protected
zone by the government in 1997, and leading ornithologists such as J.Y. Meyer,
J.C. Thibault and J Evva all agree that this site presents suitable habitat
for the species.
3. The mayor of the island, M. Leon Lichtlé, and the local population have already
participated in a project to safeguard the Pihiti and were happy to contribute
to the Upe project when asked.
4. At present there is no port of disembarkation with a quay. This helps to
protect the island from the accidental introduction of black rats.
Thus, the reintroduction of the Upe has been successfully implemented thanks to a multiple partnership between several local and international organisations:
- the Ornithological Society
of Polynesia - "MANU" (lead organisation);
- M. Lucien Kimitete and Leon Lichtlé, the mayors of Nuku Hiva and Ua Huka who
authorised the translocation and made material and human support available;
- the High-Commissioner of the French Republic in French Polynesia, (Mission
of Financial Assistance and Regional Cooperation through FIDES);
- the Ministry for Agriculture Service of Rural Development -S.D.R.-(material
and human support);
- the Department of the Environment, Delegation to the Environment (support
and authorisation of capture);
- the University of French Polynesia -U.P.F.-, Animal Biology Laboratory led
by Christian Herbaut (acceptance of C Blanvillain in post Doc.);
- the South Pacific Regional Environment Programme (co-ordination with the New
Zealand Department of Conservation);
- the New Zealand Department of Conservation (DoC) (detachment of a specialist
in the translocation of pigeons).
Then there was the essential support of three local sponsors: Air Tahiti, Total and Quincaillerie de Tairapu which enabled MANU to lower the logistical costs of the operation. For example, Air Tahiti transferred the birds from Nuku Hiva to Ua Huka. During his 15 day sojourn in the Marquesas in May 2000, George Sanford (Treasurer of MANU) was responsible for building birdcages on each island to temporarily house the birds in captivity and to explain the project to the local communities. Jean-Marc Salducci (Vice President of MANU) carried out the initial groundwork.
The adventure thus started for Caroline Blanvillain (S.O.P. and U.P.F.), Mike Thorsen (D.o.C.) and Robert Sulpice (S.D.R. ) during one month and half.
An
adventure under the form of a commando operation
The last important populations of Upe are localized at 200 m of altitude in some valleys of the west and northern part of the external caldeira of Nuku Hiva, that culminates to 1000-1200 m of altitude. Most of displacement solicited therefore the use of muscles up to there held unused, and climbings or descents were particularly difficult at the beginning of the expedition, especially with the equipment: tents, nets for capture, transportation cages for birds, foods... Add to all that this charming camping place was infested with mosquitoes and the famous Marquesan 'nono' (Simulium buissoni) a small insect who did not failed to its reputation and has managed to enter everywhere under clothes to deliver there many bites that have the particularity to itch so terribly that you wake scratching you in the night! It is necessary then to desperately forget these itchinesss, but do not count too much on that : the valley is also infested of a local weed nicknamed 'scratchy herb' by Marquisan people; you are aware now! I don't tell you about drenching rains and wind storms that have destroyed the camp several times, cold canned meal and coffee, mildewed bread and the phantom of this American who died the year before of a nocturnal fall in the valley where we were installed.
In this remote and wild universe, lived a population of 10-12 Upe that we had to capture with our said 'invisible' bird nets. But the Upe is a very quiet and reflective bird, that I will easily qualify of 'intelligent'. It flies little, most often high in the sky and rests at the summit of the tallest trees, 15 to 30 meters high, except to go eating gujavas that it swallows in one piece. The bird took its time before sitting at a given place, saw nets and hurried to avoid them, but it came to see us when we had the misfortune setup a net not enough discreetly and avoided the place thereafter or moved there with a lot circonspection... We needed therefore to use thousand ruses to finally capture 5 birds (probably two pairs and a juvenile according to their measurements and aspect): install nets on 200m long ropes between the sides of the valley; setup nets at night, then deposit nets during days, move the nets (higher, more lower, more to left. ..), new net installation (All in all nets have been setup at about twenty different sites), and to become arboricole to unhook nets tangled to summit of trees by the wind. The operation also allowed us to collect important information on the biology of this very little bird known (size, feeding, habitat, occupation of the habitat).
Meanwhile, Sylvestre Peterano (S.D.R. of Nuku Hiva) relayed by George Teikiteitetini (Commune of Nuku Hiva) were coming once a day from the civilized side of the islands, to post atop the caldeira and take us back to Toovii (where the aviary was constructed) in case of capture. Birds were thus forwarded in the most brief periods in an aviary with walls covered of white sheets to prevent them to hurt on grilles. Generally, after two days of acclimatization, they fed spontaneously on gujava, fei, fruit of pua enana, papaya and mango, but two of them had to be fed manually until their release. Savages they were and savage they remained...
Distant logistic was insured Tahiti by Philippe Raust (S.O.P.) in charge to coordinate the supplementary equipment dispatch and transfers of birds with Thérésa Padovese (Air Tahiti). Thus, five Upe have taken the regular Air Tahiti flight from the airport of Nuku Ataha to Ua Huka. It is certainely the first time that Upe takeoff in this manner and the flight officer offered them a visit to the cockpit!
On Ua Huka, they have then been put in aviary during four to fifteen days and then released in the presence Léon Lichtlé, moved to tears, our three team members tired but happy of the success of this delicate operation, and a child of Ua Huka, specially there to receive the bequest to the future generations, a child amazed by the size of the bird and by its beauty. The earth us is not given by our parents, it is lent to us by our children...
Without no doubt it will be necessary to repeat again the operation once or twice to allow a sufficient number of individuals to create this new population, and therefore live onc again this adventure in the astounding beauty of the Marquesas islands, but in the meantime, we wish to these five winged pioneers to have a numerous descendancy.
C. BLANVILLAIN, M. THORSEN & R. SULPICE
