Evaluation of data collected by Guam Division of Aquatic and Wildlife Resources during population establishment and monitoring of ko'ko' (Hypotaenidia owstoni) on Rota, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and wildlife monitoring datasets on Cocos Island and Guam

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TR109_Camp_2024_Evaluation of establishment and monitoring of koko and wildlife datasets.pdf (4.2 MB)

Date

2024-03-29

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109

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i

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97

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Abstract

Efforts to recover the critically endangered ko’ko’ (Guam rail, Hypotaenidia owstoni) through establishing an experimental population on the island of Rota in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands have been ongoing for three decades. The U.S. Geological Survey collaborated with the Guam Division of Aquatic and Wildlife Resources and the Government of Guam to evaluate whether objectives for three projects can be met with current protocols. The aim of this report was to evaluate existing data provided on (1) ko’ko’ population monitoring on Rota; (2) ko’ko’ population establishment on Rota; plus (3) evaluation of three wildlife monitoring datasets for ko’ko’ on Cocos Island, endangered pulattat (Mariana common moorhen, Gallinula chloropus guami) on Guam, and introduced ungulate species on Guam. Data sources included playback call surveys, point count surveys, release events and studbook information, telemetry of radio-marked birds, as well as landcover classes, storm events, and Oceanic Niño Index information to relate environmental factors to ko’ko’ persistence. Major findings were that reaching objectives was constrained by limited data availability and quality. Suggestions for future study include developing detailed protocols for surveys and data collection, standardizing training procedures for observers, improving data organization and archiving, using methods like distance sampling that account for imperfect detection, and collecting additional data on nests and prey resources to understand drivers of ko’ko’ density and survival. While the current data provide a preliminary assessment, improved sampling designs and consistent protocols are needed to fully address objectives related to the recovery of the ko’ko’. The report provides a roadmap for enhancing data collection and analysis to support management decisions and reach conservation translocation goals about this endangered species and related projects.

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conservation translocation, distance sampling, endangered species, Hypotaenidia owstoni, Guam, Guam rail, Mariana common moorhen, Mariana monitor, point-count sampling, Rota, telemetry

Citation

Richard J. Camp, S. A. B. Nash, and K. L. Paxton. 2024. Evaluation of data collected by Guam Division of Aquatic and Wildlife Resources during population establishment and monitoring of ko’ko’ (Hypotaenidia owstoni) on Rota, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and wildlife monitoring datasets on Cocos Island and Guam. Hawai‘i Cooperative Studies Unit Technical Report HCSU-109. University of Hawai‘i at Hilo. 101 pages. http://hdl.handle.net/10790/5391

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/10790/5391

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102 pages

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Technical Report

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Rota, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
Cocos Island and Guam, United States of America

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http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-NC/1.0/

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Hawaii Cooperative Studies Unit (HCSU)
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