Invasive alien predators, especially rats, are the biggest threat to the birds of the Pacific region i.e. Lorikeets.
Their spread across the Pacific has followed the movements of people, particularly Europeans, over the last two centuries.
These invaders, as they “stepped off the boat”, heralded the beginning of the decline of many bird species.
The islands of Rimatara and Ua Haka are last refuges of two of the most beautiful and rare lorikeets in the world; the Endangered Ultramarine Lorikeet Vini ultramarina and Rimatara Lorikeet Vini kuhlii.
All two owe their survival to the fact that rats have not yet got to these isolated islands.
These are precious places.
Ultramarine Lorikeet©Jean-Paul Mutz
We owe a big thank you to :
- the Prince Bernhard Nature Fund ,
- the dedicated local communities,
- site Support Groups,
- VINI Society,
- AIR TAHITI Society,
- TE ME UM,
- Pacific Invasives Initiative,
- BirdLife International,
- Government of French Polynesia,
- French Government
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Rimatara Lorikeet©Jean-Paul Mutz
With the help of a generous grant from the Prince Bernhard Nature Fund, the SOP Manu, (BirdLife in French Polynesia) and the local associations on Ua Huka and Rimatara islands are putting in place biosecurity measures to protect these precious places.
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To help them, Whisky (left) and Dora (right), two Jack Russell terriers bred and trained in New Zealand, were imported to try to detect any stowaway rats or other invaders.
Please, read more on BirdLife International website.