Nightingale Reed-warbler
Encyclopedia
The Nightingale Reed-warbler (Acrocephalus luscinia) is a critically endangered songbird of the Mariana Islands
. The Chamorro
name for the bird is ga`ga` karisu (bird of the reeds).
The species is approximately 17 cm (7 inches) long, and is greyish olive-brown above with a pale-yellow underside. It inhabits wetlands, thickets and the margins of forests. The female is slightly smaller than the male. Both sexes have a long bill compared to other reed warbler
species.
The nightingale reed-warbler can be found on the Northern Mariana Islands
of Saipan
and Alamagan
. Until the late 1960s the bird was also on Guam
. An alien species, the brown tree snake
is primarily blamed for its demise on the island. It is estimated that between 2000 and 2500 birds remain, with 2200 on Saipan and 300 on Alamagan.
Historically there were three subspecies of Acrocephalus luscinia that are either extinct or presumed extinct:
Mariana Islands
The Mariana Islands are an arc-shaped archipelago made up by the summits of 15 volcanic mountains in the north-western Pacific Ocean between the 12th and 21st parallels north and along the 145th meridian east...
. The Chamorro
Chamorro language
Chamorro is a Malayo-Polynesian language, spoken on the Mariana Islands by about 47,000 people Chamorro (Chamorro: Fino' Chamoru or simply Chamoru) is a Malayo-Polynesian (Austronesian) language, spoken on the Mariana Islands (Guam, Rota, Tinian, and Saipan) by about 47,000 people Chamorro...
name for the bird is ga`ga` karisu (bird of the reeds).
The species is approximately 17 cm (7 inches) long, and is greyish olive-brown above with a pale-yellow underside. It inhabits wetlands, thickets and the margins of forests. The female is slightly smaller than the male. Both sexes have a long bill compared to other reed warbler
Reed Warbler
The Eurasian Reed Warbler, or just Reed Warbler, Acrocephalus scirpaceus, is an Old World warbler in the genus Acrocephalus. It breeds across Europe into temperate western Asia. It is migratory, wintering in sub-Saharan Africa....
species.
The nightingale reed-warbler can be found on the Northern Mariana Islands
Northern Mariana Islands
The Northern Mariana Islands, officially the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , is a commonwealth in political union with the United States, occupying a strategic region of the western Pacific Ocean. It consists of 15 islands about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines...
of Saipan
Saipan
Saipan is the largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean with a total area of . The 2000 census population was 62,392...
and Alamagan
Alamagan
The Northern Marianas island of Alamagan is located north from Saipan and is 11.12 km² in area. The island's volcano has a large caldera at the summit. The volcano last erupted around 870 AD, with an error bar of 100 years. It involved pyroclastic flows, and had a VEI of 4...
. Until the late 1960s the bird was also on Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
. An alien species, the brown tree snake
Brown tree snake
The brown tree snake is an arboreal rear-fanged colubrid snake native to eastern and northern coastal Australia, Papua New Guinea, and a large number of islands in northwestern Melanesia....
is primarily blamed for its demise on the island. It is estimated that between 2000 and 2500 birds remain, with 2200 on Saipan and 300 on Alamagan.
Historically there were three subspecies of Acrocephalus luscinia that are either extinct or presumed extinct:
- Aguijan Nightingale Reed Warbler, Acrocephalus luscinia nijoi: a handful of the subspecies were known to exist in the mid-1980s on the uninhabited island of AguijanAguijanAguijan is a small bean-shaped coralline island in the Northern Mariana Islands chain situated southwest of Tinian, from which it is separated by the Tinian Channel. It is only 7.09 km² in size and is nicknamed Goat Island due to the large number of feral goats present there...
. - Astrolabe Nightingale Reed Warbler, Acrocephalus luscinia astrolabii : known from only two specimens, believed to have gone extinct in the mid-19th century.
- Pagan Nightingale Reed Warbler, Acrocephalus luscinia yamashinae: considered to be extinct since the 1970s on Pagan IslandPagan IslandPagan is an island of the Northern Mariana Islands chain,located at , approximately 320 kilometers northof Saipan.Pagan has an area of 47.23 km² , making it the fourth largest island of the Northern Marianas, and consists of two stratovolcanoes joined by a narrow strip of land.The...
.