10,000 Birds

AUGUST 27, 2014

The Wattled Honeyeater is a species, or now more accurately a genus, found in eastern Melanesia (Fiji) and in western Polynesia (Samoa and Tonga). In spite of the bird extinctions that have plagued the islands of the Pacific, it doesn’t seem to have suffered that much; I saw it in gardens in both Fiji and Tonga.

Tonga 174

Tonga Fiji Samoa Vanuatu 174

10,000 Birds

JUNE 8, 2011

I certainly did when I visited the two southern islands of Tonga a few years ago. The two endemic species found in Tonga are not found in these islands, and the other species present are also found on more traditional destinations of Fiji and Samoa. Southern Tonga had its own flightless Gallirallus rail (an undescribed species).

Tonga 165

Tonga New Zealand Samoa Fiji 165

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 7, 2014

A large, extinct relative of the (barely) extant Tooth-billed Pigeon described above was described in 2006 from remains found in Tonga ( Steadman 2006 ). Thankfully not extinct: Western Crowned-Pigeon ( Goura cristata ) at the National Zoo © David J. Tongan Tooth-billed Pigeon ( Didunculus placopedetes ).

Solomon Islands 273

Solomon Islands Guinea Mauritius Humane 273

10,000 Birds

MARCH 23, 2011

The Collared Kingfisher isn’t the most widespread kingfisher in the world (a distinction that would probably go to the Common Kingfisher or the Pied Kingfisher ), but it is close, ranging from the African coast of the Red Sea through to Tonga and American Samoa. Subspecies pealei , National Park of American Samoa.

Samoa 167

Samoa Vanuatu United Arab Emirates Tonga 167

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 23, 2015

All the way back in 2011 I wrote about the confusing taxanomic enigma that is the Collared Kingfisher , a species that ranges from the Red Sea to Tonga in a bewildering variety of forms. Subspecies pealei , National Park of American Samoa. Subspecies sacer , ‘Eua, Tonga. Bryan Harry, USNPS. Photo by author. Tom Tarrant.

United Arab Emirates 174

United Arab Emirates Micronesia Tonga Vanuatu 174