Collections of birds have been made at most of the major islands of
Micronesia, and it is thought that there are but few if any unnamed
birds in the region. The distribution of several species has not been
completely investigated, especially those land birds (_Ducula_,
_Ptilinopus_, and _Aplonis_) which inhabit coral atolls in the Carolines
and Marshalls. The bird life of the northern Marianas is also
incompletely known. Continued observations in the Micronesian islands
will increase our knowledge of the kinds of migratory shore birds and
migratory land birds which reach the island as winter visitors. Further
information is needed concerning the breeding activities of sea birds in
Micronesia, especially in the Marshalls and Carolines.
The systematic status of most of the birds in Micronesia is already
established. It is hoped that the present account advances our knowledge
of the methods of colonization. Although these fundamental
investigations have been nearly completed in Micronesia the field of
avian ecology has been relatively untouched. In the past, expeditions
have visited Micronesia with the aim of obtaining within a short time
collections of the animal life as large and as representative as
possible. Many of the collectors made few or no field notes on the bird
life; some, like Finsch, Kubary, Marche, and Coultas, made valuable
observations on the habits of the birds. Intensive ecological researches
may be accomplished more thoroughly by resident investigators, who can
devote full time to such pursuits.