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Koro Island, Fiji
Dick Watling

Nanuyalevu Is., Fiji
Dick Watling

Nasoata Is., Fiji
Dick Watling

Maninita, Vava’u, Tonga
Dick Watling

Viwa Island, Fiji
Dick Watling

General Observations

SURVEY OF VIWA ISLAND, TAILEVU, VITILEVU, FIJI
Viwa is a 60 ha island about 300 m off the east coast of main island of Viti Levu. It has a small village of about 25 families on it, a conspicuous church and some nice forest and bush. Historically Viwa is well known as the place where the Bible was first translated into Fijian and then printed. Biologically, Viwa is renowned for its Fiji Ground Frogs Platymantis vitianus which have been extirpated on nearby Viti Levu by the introduced Indian Mongoose Herpestes auropunctatus. As far as is known the Ground Frog only survives on Ovalau, Taveuni, Gau and Viwa.

I had not been to Viwa for over 15 years and so took the opportunity to join Dr Craig Morley, Alex Maljkovic from the University of the South Pacific, 11-13 March 2002. The highlight of the trip – ornithologically, was to sit underneath a large native strangler fig Ficus obliqua/prolixa and watch at least 30 Many-coloured Fruit-doves, bicker and squabble endlessly. No new birds were seen by comparison with existing records, but on this occasion, no Purple Swamphen were seen and the villagers indicated they no longer occurred on the island, an interesting loss if correct. The absence of the Wattled Honeyeater from the island is very puzzling !!

List of landbirds seen on Viwa, 11-13 March 2002.

Send your observations as a word document or as a .pdf file, attached to an email: Watling@is.com.fj
Recent Trip Reports
© Copyright Environment Consultants 2001

English Name

Scientific Name

Comment

Eastern Reef Heron

Egretta sacra

 

Fiji Goshawk

Accipiter rufitorques

 

Banded Rail

Rallus philippensis

(AM record)

White-throated Pigeon

Columba vitiensis

Surprisingly common

Spotted Turtle-dove

Streptopelia chinensis

Abundant exotic

Many-coloured Fruit-dove

Ptilinopus perousii

Common on the two or three large fig trees which were fruiting

Golden Dove

Chrysoenas luteovirens

Commonly heard

Barn Owl

Tyto alba

Villagers’ report

White-rumped Swiftlet

Aerodramus spodiopygia

 

White-collared Kingfisher

Halcyon chloris

 

Polynesian Triller

Lalage maculosa

 

Red-vented Bulbul

Pycnonotus cafer

Common exotic

Slaty Monarch

Mayrornis lessoni

Common, even entering village precincts

Lesser Shrikebill

Clytorhynchus vitiensis

 

Vanikoro Broadbill

Myiagra vanikorensis

 

Silvereye

Zosterops lateralis

Common

Orange-breasted Myzomela

Myzomela jugularis

 

Common Mynah

Acridotheres tristis

Common exotic

Jungle Mynah

Acridotheres fuscus

Common exotic