Pacific golden plovers Pluvialis fulva and other waders on the Samoan Islands: wintering in a changing Polynesian landscape

Abstract

Pacific Golden Plovers Pluvialis fulva and other waders on the Samoan Islands: Wintering in a changing Polynesian landscapePacific Golden Plovers Pluvialis fulva and other waders on the Samoan Islands: Wintering in a changing Polynesian landscape ULF BEICHLE Landesmuseum Natur und Mensch Oldenburg, Damm 38-44, D 26135 Oldenburg, Germany, e-maih ulf. beichle @ web. de Beichle, Ulf, 2001. Pacific Golden Plovers Pluvialisfulva and other waders on the Samoan Islands: Winter- ing in a changing Polynesian landscape. Wader Study Group Bull. 96: 40-46. Counts and observations of waders wintering on the Samoan Islands, Oceania, in February and March 1999 and March and April 2000 are reported. The most abundant waders were Pacific Golden Plovers Pluvialisfulva. This species benefits from the rapidly changing landscape, as primary rain forest is turned into cultivated land. 2000 individuals of P. fulva are making use of these tropical islands as their non-breeding area. The major- ity, 800-1000, is con