Sites - Important Bird Areas (IBAs)

General characteristics 

The volcanic island of Rotuma (47km², and rising to 250 m), politically part of Fiji, lies with its few small satellites c.500km north of the Fijian island of Vanua Levu (EBA 202). Most if not all of its native forest has long since given way to shifting cultivation and to coconut plantations, but, like most of the inhabited Fijian islands, it supports quite extensive secondary bush (Clunie 1984), which provides habitats for native species. Although Rotuma has a similar avifauna to Fiji (albeit a depauperate one), with populations of four central Polynesian restricted-range species (Purple-capped Fruit-dove Ptilinopus porphyraceus, Polynesian Triller Lalage maculosa, Fiji Shrikebill Clytorhynchus vitiensis and Polynesian Starling Aplonis tabuensis), it is treated separately as a Secondary Area, on account of its geographical isolation. It has one endemic species, Rotuma Myzomela Myzomela chermesina (sometimes considered to be conspecific with Cardinal Honeyeater M.cardinalis), which is classified as threatened (Vulnerable) on account of its tiny range.

Important Bird Areas (IBAs)

Recommended citation  BirdLife International (2013) Endemic Bird Area factsheet: Rotuma. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 22/05/2013

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