Ten of the kinds of birds of Micronesia have come from or by way of the
Philippine area. These are known principally from the Palaus and the
Marianas and include: _Rallus philippinus_, _R. owstoni_, _Poliolimnas
cinereus_, _Caprimulgus indicus_, _Corvus kubaryi_, _Psamathia annae_,
_Artamus leucorhynchus_, possibly _Lonchura nigerrima_, and _Collocalia
inexpectata_. The Philippines may have been the actual point of
dispersal of the birds (example, _Psamathia_), or may have been used as
a stepping stone to Micronesia by birds coming from Melanesia (examples,
_Rallus_ and _Artamus_), by birds from Malaysia (example, _Collocalia_),
and by birds from Asia (example, _Caprimulgus_). Two birds of this
component have reached the islands of eastern Micronesia. A subspecies
of _Lonchura nigerrima_ is endemic at Ponapé, and a subspecies of
_Poliolimnas cinereus_ occurs on several islands in the Carolines and
has even been recorded at Bikini in the Marshall Islands. Three species
are known only from the Palaus; two are known only from the Marianas.