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The
Society Islands, of which Tahiti is the largest and most renowned,
are not at first glance special places for birders. In all only
59 species have been recorded (out of a mere 90 in all of French
Polynesia). But the birds that do inhabit the varied habitats
of this tropical paradise are usually colourful and often rare.
In fact most of the Society Island’s native land birds are
found nowhere else. These include the Tahiti Lorikeet, the Society
Islands fruit dove, the Tahiti kingfisher, the long-billed warbler,
and the Tahiti Flycatcher. These and other endemic species have
been joined by birds introduced by man—the first of which
arrived with the Polynesian migrations.” As seen in the
1989 Naturalist’s Diary |
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