The St Helena Wirebird

At the time of its discovery in 1502, the island of St Helena was home to several unique bird species. Unfortunately, in common with island bird populations throughout the world, most of these rapidly succumbed to the introduction of mammalian predators and gradual destruction of the island's natural habitats. Not everything was lost however and, while today we may not have the opportunity to see such delights as flightless pigeons and giant hoopoes, one of St Helena's special birds is still very much in evidence.

The Wirebird is a small plover, closely related to Africa's Kittlitz's Plover, its unusual name being derived from its long, thin legs. They avoid tall, thick vegetation and today the species is found mainly on St Helena's drier pasture land, while smaller numbers still inhabit the arid fringe.

Wirebirds, which feed on a variety of invertebrates, are highly territorial and established pairs don't stray far from their nesting area throughout the year. Nesting can occur at any time but most breeding takes place in the dry season, between October and February. Two eggs are laid in a shallow scrape in the soil and incubation takes four weeks. If an incubating bird is disturbed it will cover the eggs with soil and plant debris before leaving the nest. Cats are the only serious predators of adults, but the introduced Common Mynah is known to take small chicks and may be a significant egg thief.

In the late 1980s the population was estimated to be around 450 individuals. Since then numbers have fallen dramatically and a survey in 2006 was only able to find 220 adults, although more recent work suggests a number closer to 300. As a result the Wirebird has been re-classified as critically endangered. The main reason for this decline appears to be habitat degradation resulting from reduced grazing by livestock. It is also possible that predation may have increased in recent years. All is not doom and gloom, however, as conservation action is underway. Experimental habitat restoration has recently started and the impact of predators is being investigated, so there are reasons to be optimistic that St Helena's great avian survivor will be around for many more generations to come.

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