Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-94fs2 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-05T16:22:12.722Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Status, habitat and conservation of the St Helena Wirebird Charadrius sanctaehelenae

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 May 2010

M. Neil McCulloch
M. Neil McCulloch
Affiliation:
British Trust for Ornithology, The Nunnery, Thetford, Norfolk IP24 2PU, U.K.
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

The St Helena Wirebird, a sand plover, is the last surviving endemic bird on the South Atlantic island of St Helena. Census work carried out during 1988–1989 located a maximum of 495 individuals. This is thought to be close to the true size of the population and i s more than 50% higher than the most recent previous estimate. Population trends remain unknown, however. Breeding success appears to be low. A maximum survival rate from egg to independence of 19% was estimated. Predation and disturbance of Wirebirds is discussed. Wirebirds occur in grassland and semi-desert. Highest densities are found in relatively dry, flat pastures. Wetter upland pastures hold few Wirebirds, possibly because of more difficult feeding conditions encountered in taller, denser vegetation on steep slopes. Wirebirds prey on a wide range of invertebrates but beetles and caterpillars appear to predominate in the diet. Possible future threats, principally changes in land-use, were assessed and a management strategy for the species is outlined.

Type
Research Article
Information
Bird Conservation International , Volume 1 , Issue 4 , December 1991 , pp. 361 - 392
Copyright
Copyright © Birdlife International 1991

References

Referances

Alexander, C. (1985) The St Helena Wirebird: its status and distribution. Unpublished.Google Scholar
Ashmole, N. P. (1963) The extinct avifauna of St Helena island. Ibis 103b: 390–408.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Atkinson, I. A. E. (1985) The spread of commensal species of Rattus to oceanic islands and their effect on island avifaunas. Pp.35–81 in Moors, P. J., ed. Conservation of island birds. Cambridge, U.K.: International Council for Bird Preservation (Techn. Publ. 3).Google Scholar
Baker, E. (1868) The birds of St Helena. Zoologist (2)3: 1472–1476.Google Scholar
Baker, I. (1970) Geological history of Saint Helena in relation to its floral and faunal colonization. Pp. 25–35 in: La faune terrestre de I'ile Sainte-Hélène. Ann. Mus. Roy Afrique Centrale Ser. 8, Sci. Zool. 181.Google Scholar
Baker, I., Gale, N. H. and Simons, J. (1967). Geochronology of the St Helena volcanoes. Nature 215: 1451–1456.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Basilewsky, P. (1970) Vertébrés. Pp.77–130 in: La faune terrestre de I'ile de Sainte-Hélène. Ann. Mus. Roy. Afrique Centrale Ser. 8, Sci. Zool. 181.Google Scholar
Beatson, A. (1816) Tracts relative to the Island of St Helena. Jamestown, St Helena.Google Scholar
Beintema, A. J. (1982) Meadow birds in The Netherlands. Rijksinstituut voor Natuurbeheer Rapport 1981: 86–93.Google Scholar
Benson, C. W. (1950) A contribution to the ornithology of St Helena, and other notes from a sea voyage. Ibis 92: 75–83.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bock, W. J. (1958) A generic review of the plovers (Charadriinae, Aves). Bull. Mus. Comp Zool. 118: 27–97.Google Scholar
Brown, L. C. (1981) The land resources and agro-forestal development of St Helena (three volumes). Tolworth: Ministry of Overseas Development Land Resource Study 32.Google Scholar
Brown, L. C. (1982) The flora and fauna of St Helena. Tolworth: Ministry of Overseas Development Project Report 59.Google Scholar
Clarke, D. (1990) Invertebrates - The “Project Hercules” expedition. Pp. 15–16 in Pearce-Kelly, P., Cronk, Q. C. B., eds. St Helena, natural treasury. Proceedings of symposium held at the Zoological Society of London, 9th September 1988. London: Zoological Society of London.Google Scholar
Collar, N. J. and Stuart, S. N. (1985) Threatened birds of Africa and related islands. Cambridge bridge, U.K.: International Council for Bird Preservation.Google Scholar
Cramp, S. and Simmons, K. E. L., eds. (1983) The birds of the western Palearctic, 3. Oxford: University Press.Google Scholar
Cronk, Q. C. B. (1983) The decline of the redwood Trochetiopsis erythroxylon on St. Helena. Biol. Conserv. 26: 163–174.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cronk, Q. C. B. (1986a) The decline of the St Helena ebony Trochetiopsis melanoxylon. Conserv. 35: 159–172.Google Scholar
Cronk, Q. C. B. (1986b) The decline of the St Helena Gumwood Commidendrum robustum Biol. Conserv. 35: 173–186.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cronk, Q. C. B. (1987) The history of endemic flora of St Helena: a relictual series. New Phytol. 105: 509–520.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cronk, Q. C. B. (1989) The past and present vegetation of St Helena. J. Biogeog. 16: 47–64.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Daly, R. A. (1927) The geology of St Helena Island. Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts Sci. 62: 31–92.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Edwards, C. A. (1984) Changes in agricultural practice and their impact on soil organisms. Pp. 56–65 in Jenkins, D., ed. Agriculture and the environment. Cambridge, U.K.: Institute of Terrestrial Ecology.Google Scholar
Flemming, S. P., Chiasson, R. D., Smith, P. C, Austin-Smith, P. J. and Bancroft, R. P. (1988) Piping Plover status in Nova Scotia related to its reproductive and behavioral responses to human disturbance. J. Field Orn. 59: 321–330.Google Scholar
Galbraith, H. (1988) Effects of agriculture on the breeding ecology of Lapwings Vanellus vanellus. J. Appl. Ecol. 25: 487–503.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gosse, P. (1938) St Helena, 1502–1938. London: Cassell and Company.Google Scholar
Harting, J. E. (1873) On rare or little known Limicolae. Ibis (3)3: 260–269.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
den Hartog, J. C. (1984) A note on the avifauna of St Helena, South Atlantic Ocean. Bull. Brit. Orn. Club 104: 91–95.Google Scholar
Haydock, E. L. (1954) A survey of the birds of St Helena island. Ostrich 25: 62–75.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Huckle, C. H. (1924) Birds of Ascension and St Helena. Ibis 11(6): 818–821.Google Scholar
Layard, E. L. (1867) Letter. Ibis (2)3: 248–252.Google Scholar
Lessells, C. M. (1984) The mating system of Kentish Plovers Charadrius alexandrinus. Ibis 126: 474–483.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Loveridge, A. (1974) Notes on the vertebrates of St Helena Island. Unpublished.Google Scholar
Markham, C. R., ed. (1911) Early Spanish voyages to the Straits of Magellan. London: Hakluyt Society (Series II, No. 38).Google Scholar
Mathieson, I. K. (1990) The agricultural climate of St Helena (with reference to Ascension). London: Overseas Development Administration, and St Helena: Department of Agriculture and Forestry.Google Scholar
Maxson, S. and Oring, L. (1978) Mice as a source of egg loss among ground-nesting birds. Auk 95: 582–584.Google Scholar
McCulloch, M. N. (in prep.) The status and ecology of the St Helena Wirebird. Thetford, Norfolk: British Trust for Ornithology (research report).Google Scholar
Mellis, J. C. (1871) Notes on the birds of the island of St Helena. Ibis (3)6: 97–107.Google Scholar
Moreau, R. E. (1931) Some birds on a voyage. Ibis 13(1): 778–781.Google Scholar
Morris, D. (1884) Report upon the present conditions and prospects of the agricultural the island of St Helena. London: Miscellaneous Colonial Report No. 38.Google Scholar
Nunn, P. D. (1990) Geomorphology. Pp. 3–4 in Pearce-Kelly, P., Cronk, Q. C. B., eds. St Helena, natural treasury. Proceedings of a symposium held at the Zoological Society London, 9th September 1988. London: Zoological Society of London.Google Scholar
O'Connor, R. J. and Shrubb, M. (1986) Farming and birds. Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Olson, S. L. (1975) The palaeomithology of St Helena Island, South Atlantic Ocean. Smithsonian Contrib. Paleobiol. No. 23.Google Scholar
Overseas Development Administration (ODA) (1989) St Helena National Development Plan. London: Overseas Development Administration.Google Scholar
Pitman, C. R. S. (1965) The eggs and nesting habits of the St Helena Sand-Plover or Wirebird Chamdrius pecuarius sanctae-helenae (Harting). Bull. Brit. Orn. Club 85: 121–129.Google Scholar
Sclater, W. L. (1924) Systema avium Aethiopicarum. London: British Ornithologists' Union.Google Scholar
Simmons, G. F. (1927) Sinbads of science. Natn. Geogr. Mag. 52: 1–75.Google Scholar
Sokal, R. R. and Rohlf, F. J. (1981) Biometry. 2nd edition. San Francisco: Freeman and Company.Google Scholar
Temple, R. C., ed. (1914) The travels of Peter Mundy in Europe and Asia, 1608–1667, 2. London: Hakluyt Society (Series II, No. 35).Google Scholar
Temple, R. C., ed. (1919) The travels of Peter Mundy in Europe and Asia, 1608–1667, 3. London: Hakluyt Society (Series II, No. 46).Google Scholar
Temple, R. C. and Anstey, L. M., eds. (1936) The travels of Peter Mundy in Europe and Asia, 1608–1667, 5. London: Hakluyt Society (Series II, No. 78).Google Scholar
Winkelman, J. E. (1985) Impact of medium-sized wind turbines on birds: a survey on flight behaviour, victims and disturbance. Neth. J. Agric. Sci. 33: 75–78.Google Scholar