Apalopteron familiare

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

Bibliography

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	AVES	PASSERIFORMES	ZOSTEROPIDAE

Scientific Name:

Apalopteron familiare

Species Authority:

(Kittlitz, 1831)

Common Name/s:

English

–

Bonin Honeyeater, Bonin White-eye

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Vulnerable C2a(ii) ver 3.1

Year Published:

2008

Assessor/s:

BirdLife International

Reviewer/s:

Butchart, S., Chan, S., Crosby, M., Gilroy, J.

Justification:
This species has a small, declining population as a result of historical clearance of primary forest and continued threats to secondary forest from tourism and infrastructure developments, as well as potentially from introduced pest species. It therefore qualifies as Vulnerable.

History:

2004	–	Vulnerable
2000	–	Vulnerable
1996	–	Vulnerable
1994	–	Vulnerable

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Apalopteron familiare is endemic to the Ogasawara Islands, Japan, where it has been recorded from all three island groups, the Muko-jima, Chichi-jima and Haha-jima Islands, but is now extinct in the first two³.
Countries:	Native: Japan
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	Population estimate based on Kato et al. (1995) estimate of 3,000-4,000 on Haha-jima island, plus information from the other islands presented in BirdLife International (2001).
Population Trend:	Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	It inhabits low secondary forest, forest edge, bushes, plantations and gardens. On Haha-jima, it favours forest with well-developed undergrowth, feeding mainly 2-6 m above the ground, on the fruit of papaya Acacia farnesiana, bananas, and other fruit and flowers. Nests are situated in tree forks and occasionally in tree cavities².
Systems:	Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	Virtually all the original subtropical forest has already been cleared from the Ogasawara Islands, leading to extinction on several islands, presumably as a result of the wholesale loss of its habitat. Economic development on Haha-jima Island, including developments for tourism, and a consequent reduction in forest cover is an important threat. Plans to construct a new airport within the islands would cause habitat loss, if sited within the Haha-jima group. Further invasions by exotic species remain a threat. Predation by domestic and feral cats may pose a minor threat¹. Competition with introduced Japanese White-eye Zosterops japonicus was found to have little or no negative effect on this species⁴.

Major Threat(s):

Virtually all the original subtropical forest has already been cleared from the Ogasawara Islands, leading to extinction on several islands, presumably as a result of the wholesale loss of its habitat. Economic development on Haha-jima Island, including developments for tourism, and a consequent reduction in forest cover is an important threat. Plans to construct a new airport within the islands would cause habitat loss, if sited within the Haha-jima group. Further invasions by exotic species remain a threat. Predation by domestic and feral cats may pose a minor threat¹. Competition with introduced Japanese White-eye Zosterops japonicus was found to have little or no negative effect on this species⁴.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	Conservation Actions Underway It is legally protected in Japan. The Ogasawara Islands are a National Wildlife Protection Area, established primarily for this species. An active conservation programme is underway there, including the propagation and reintroduction of threatened native plants. Conservation Actions Proposed Continue to survey islands in its range to determine population trends and identify islands that still support populations. Establish a monitoring programme on Haha-jima Island. Promote habitat protection and restoration of forest with well-developed undergrowth on Haha-jima Island and other smaller islands where populations persist. Study the reasons for its extinction on previously occupied islands, and evaluate current threats to extant populations. Study the feasibility of reintroduction to other islands in Ogasawara.

Conservation Actions:

Conservation Actions Underway
It is legally protected in Japan. The Ogasawara Islands are a National Wildlife Protection Area, established primarily for this species. An active conservation programme is underway there, including the propagation and reintroduction of threatened native plants.

Conservation Actions Proposed
Continue to survey islands in its range to determine population trends and identify islands that still support populations. Establish a monitoring programme on Haha-jima Island. Promote habitat protection and restoration of forest with well-developed undergrowth on Haha-jima Island and other smaller islands where populations persist. Study the reasons for its extinction on previously occupied islands, and evaluate current threats to extant populations. Study the feasibility of reintroduction to other islands in Ogasawara.

Bibliography [top]

	BirdLife International. 2001. Threatened birds of Asia: the BirdLife International Red Data Book. BirdLife International, Cambridge, U.K. Kawakami, K.; Higuchi, H. 2002. Bird predation by domestic cats on Hahajima Island, Bonin Islands, Japan. Ornithological Science 143: 143-144. Kawakami, K.; Higuchi, H. 2002. The first record of cavity nesting in the Ogasawara Islands Honeyeater Apalopteron familiare on Hahajima, Bonin Islands, Japan. Ornithological Science 1(2): 153-154. Kawakami, K.; Higuchi, H. 2003. Interspecific interactions between the native and introduced White-eyes in the Bonin Islands. Ibis 145: 583-592. Suzuki, T.; Morioka, H. 2005. Distribution and extinction of the Ogasawara Islands Honeyeater Apalopteron familiare on Chichijima, Ogasawara Islands. Journal of the Yamashina Institute for Ornithology 37: 45-49.

BirdLife International. 2001. Threatened birds of Asia: the BirdLife International Red Data Book. BirdLife International, Cambridge, U.K.

Kawakami, K.; Higuchi, H. 2002. Bird predation by domestic cats on Hahajima Island, Bonin Islands, Japan. Ornithological Science 143: 143-144.

Kawakami, K.; Higuchi, H. 2002. The first record of cavity nesting in the Ogasawara Islands Honeyeater Apalopteron familiare on Hahajima, Bonin Islands, Japan. Ornithological Science 1(2): 153-154.

Kawakami, K.; Higuchi, H. 2003. Interspecific interactions between the native and introduced White-eyes in the Bonin Islands. Ibis 145: 583-592.

Suzuki, T.; Morioka, H. 2005. Distribution and extinction of the Ogasawara Islands Honeyeater Apalopteron familiare on Chichijima, Ogasawara Islands. Journal of the Yamashina Institute for Ornithology 37: 45-49.

Citation:	BirdLife International 2008. Apalopteron familiare. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 22 May 2012.
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