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Last Updated: May 15, 2017 - 11:48:45 AM |
The Bahamas National Trust is collaborating with the Omland Lab at the
University of Maryland to determine nesting habitat for the Bahama
Oriole on Andros - where fewer than 300 of these rare birds are thought
to live.
Up to this point, orioles were thought to nest almost
exclusively in developed areas, in non-native coconut palms. But initial
research in 2011 observed adult birds foraging in pine and coppice
forest.
Current research let by Dr. Kevin Omland of the Omland
Lab, University of Maryland, Baltimore County discovered orioles nesting
deep within the pine forests, building in understory palms and in pine
trees themselves.
This demonstrates that Bahama Orioles are able
to utilize a wider range of habitats than previously thought, could have
significant implications for our understanding of the population
ecology and conservation needs of this endangered species.
The
critically endangered Bahama Oriole (Icterus northropi) originally lived
on Abaco and Andros, but was lost to Abaco in the 1990s. Now it
struggles to survive on Andros.
This special bird is found in
very small numbers in isolated pockets on Andros. The most optimistic
population estimate puts the total at fewer than 300 individuals.
In
2010, the Greater Antillean Oriole (Icterus dominicensis) was separated
by the American Ornithologists Union into four species, one being the
Bahama Oriole.
New species are always a source of excitement, but
in this case the announcement was overshadowed by a sense of alarm and
urgency, as this new species was limited to certain parts of Andros, in
small and diminishing numbers.
It was being seen less frequently
in North Andros – where it had formerly been abundant. It was extirpated
on Abaco by a combination of habitat loss and a population that could
not breed prolifically enough to sustain itself.
The main causes
of the decline on Andros include Lethal Yellowing Disease of the coconut
palm, which is the prime nesting habitat for the oriole. In some areas
on Andros (e.g. Staniard Creek), the palm has been all but wiped out.
The
arrival and spread of the Shiny Cowbird (Molothrus bonariensis), a
brood parasite that lays its eggs in the nests of other bird species, is
also a factor. The cowbird reached Andros in the mid-1990s.
Other
factors put forward include forestry work, forest fires, diseases,
rodents and feral cats – problems that affect many other birds, such as
the Abaco parrot.
More research needs be conducted and the BNT
working with the Omland Lab with funding from the American Bird
Conservancy will be looking this year to continue population estimates
as well as conducting outreach on Andros to ensure that residents are
aware of the endangered status of the Bahama Oriole.
© Copyright 2017 by thebahamasweekly.com
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