Column headings:
Fas.: Fassari
Man.: Mangejang
Los.: Losiep
======================+================================================
| ISLAND AND DATE
+-----------------------+-----+-----+-----+------
SPECIES | Potangeras | Fas.| Man.| Pau | Los.
+-----------------------+-----+-----+-----+------
| Aug.| Aug.| Aug.| Aug.| Aug.| Aug.| Aug.| Aug.
| 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22
----------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+------
_Pluvialis dominica_ | | | 6 | 5 | 4 | | 10 | 5
_Charadrius mongolus_ | | | | | | | x | 2
_Numenius phaeopus_ | 1 | 4 | | 1 | | | 1 | 2
_Actitus hypoleucos_ | | | | | | | 2 | 2
_Heteroscelus_ spp. | | | | | 2 | | 6 | 3
_H. incanus_* | | | | | | 1 | | 2
_Crocethia alba_ | | | | | | | 30 | 5
+=====+=====+=====+=====+=====+=====+=====+======
Total No. | | | | | | | |
of Individuals | 1 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 49 | 21
Total No. of | | | | | | | |
Species | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 6
----------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+------
x Observed but numbers not recorded.
* Figures based on identified skins.
Table 9 lists the shore birds seen at Ulithi Atoll, Caroline Islands, on
eight field excursions in the period from August 14 to August 22, 1945.
Of seven species of shore birds known to visit the atoll, six were taken
in this period. As observed at Guam, _Pluvialis dominica_ and _Numenius
phaeopus_ were the species most frequently found. _Heteroscelus_ was
seen on three occasions; those collected were identified as _H.
incanus_. Most of the shore birds were seen at Pau and Losiep, islands
unoccupied by man. Similar tidal flats are present at most of the other
small islands in the atoll, but these islands (Asor, Fallalop,
Potangeras, Fassarai and Mangejang were visited) were occupied by small
detachments of service personnel or by natives, which may have tended to
keep many of the shore birds away. At the more populated islands of Asor
and Fallalop, no shore birds were seen. Almost as many species were
recorded at Ulithi on the eight field trips as were found by the author
at Guam in eight months of observations.
TABLE 10. POPULATIONS OF MIGRATORY SHORE BIRDS SEEN AT THE PALAU ISLANDS
IN 1945
=======================+==========================================+======
| Peleliu |Angaur
+---------+--------------------------------+------
SPECIES | August | September |
+----+----+----+----+----+-----+-----+-----+ Sept.
| 24 | 28 | 1 | 6* | 8* | 9[+]| 16* | 20* | 21
-----------------------+----+----+----+----+----+-----+-----+-----+------
_Pluvialis dominica_ | x | | x | x | 25 | | 20 | x | x
_Charadrius mongolu_ | | | | x | 25 | | 5 | x | x
_C. leschenaultii_ | | | | x | 25 | | 5 | x | x
_Numenius phaeopus_ | | | 3 | x | 30 | | 20 | x | x
_N. madagascariensis_ | | | | | 1 | 1 | | 15 |
_Limosa lapponica_ | | | | | 3 | | 4 | |
_Tringa nebularia_ | | 6 | | | | | 3 | |
_T. glareola_[++] | | | | | | | | | 1
_Actitis hypoleucos_ | | | | | | 2 | | |
_Heteroscelus_ sp. | | | x | x | 75 | | x | x | x
_H. brevipes_[++] | | | | 3 | 2 | | 2 | |
_Arenaria interpres_ | | | | | 20 | | | |
_Capella megala_ | | | | | | | | | 4
_Calidris tenuirostris_| | | | | 15 | | 20 | |
_Erolia minuta_ | | | | x | 50 | | 50 | x | x
_E. acuminata_[++] | | | | | | | | | 3
_E. ferruginea_[++] | | | | 1 | | | | |
_Limicola | | | | | | | | |
falcinellus_[++] | | | | | | | | | 1
Unidentified | x | | | x | x | | x | x | x
+====+====+====+====+====+=====+=====+=====+======
Total number
of individuals | x | 6 | x | x |271+| 3 |129+ | x | x
Total
number of species | 1 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 2 | 9 | 7 | 10
-----------------------+----+----+----+----+----+-----+-----+-----+------
* Observations made on beaches at Akarakoro Point, Peleliu.
[+] Observations made at fresh water ponds.
x Observed but numbers not recorded.
[++] Figures based on identified skins.
Table 10 presents field counts at the Palau Islands in the period from
August 24 to September 21, 1945. Of 20 species of shore birds known from
the Palaus, 17 species were collected or identified on this trip. It was
apparent that the fall migration was at its height at this time. Birds
were numerous at inland openings and ponds, air field strips, and on the
extensive tidal flats at Akarakoro Point. The latter area is between
Peleliu and the adjacent island of Ngesebus to the north. Several
observations were made at this area (as indicated by the dates marked
with asterisks in the table); on September 8, 271+ shore birds were
counted; on September 16, 129+ were counted. Six species were observed
to be abundant. The majority of the birds found at these beaches were in
small flocks which consisted of several birds of one or more species.
The birds observed at Angaur on September 21 were seen at several fresh
and brackish ponds. Four species (_Tringa glareola_, _Erolia acuminata_,
_Limicola falcinellus_, _Gallinago megala_), which were not taken on the
tidal flats or elsewhere at Peleliu, were found at these ponds.
The abundance, and more especially the variety, of shore birds at the
Palau Islands during this period was in marked contrast to the smaller
and less diversified populations of shore birds in rather similar
insular environments at Ulithi and Guam. These differences offer support
for the supposition that the Asiatic-Palauan Migratory Shore Bird Flyway
is distinct from the Japanese-Marianan Migratory Shore Bird Flyway.