Meet the Mariana Fruit Dove

The Mariana Fruit dove, also known as also known as mwee’mwe in the Carolinian language, totot on Guam or Paluman totut in Northern Marianas Islands, is in danger of extinction. This species is the official bird of the Northern Mariana Islands. Due to limited range and habitat loss, the Mariana Fruit Dove is listed as Engangered on the IUCN Red List. This small creature only reaches about 24cm long and has a red forehead; greyish head, back, and breast; and yellow belly patch and under-tail coverts. According to recent surveys on datazone.birdlife.org, the Mariana fruit dove's population is estimated at about 16,230 birds. Of this proportion, 9/723 are reported to live on Saipan, the largest island in the North Mariana Islands. An interesting thing about this bird is both the mother and father will sit on the eggs to keep them protected and warm. Adult females resemble males, however, they are slightly smaller with a greener neck. The fruit dove is primarily a canopy frugivore but feeds on fruit, leaves, and flowers of a wide variety of species. These birds are highly territorial, utilizing their song to evoke communication with other birds throughout the forest.  

The Mariana Fruit Dove tends to live and nest mainly in native primary and secondary forests. In addition, it also occupies green patches of domesticated plants on human settlements. It has been assumed that fruit doves concentrate activities in the upper to the mid-level canopy.

This bird has a special role in the ecosystem that occurs when they defecate the plants and fruits it ate. When the fruit dove consumes and defecates seeds from other plants, it spreads the seedlings around the forest causing more plants to grow. Without the dispersion of seeds from plants and fruits, ecosystems would begin to lose a large number of their food sources causing the system to slowly lose species to extinction. Extinction of the fruit dove would have a significant effect on the biodiversity of their native ecosystem.

The main cause of this species decline is attributed to the accidental introduction during WW2 of the brown tree snakes in their habitat. The brown tree snaked called the Boiga irregularis is one of the biggest threats the fruit dove faces today. The bird is unaccustomed to fighting predators, making it nearly impossible for the species to defend itself. Habitat destruction has also taken its toll on this population.

If the Mariana Fruit Dove disappears, much of the biodiversity in the Northern Mariana Islands would decline over time. This decline would then lead to other species' endangerment and extinction in the area. The fruit doves' ability to fly and spread seeds from defecation makes it a primary contributor to the biodiversity of plants in the region. 

The current conservation effort at the St. Louis Zoo, in St. Louis, Missouri, has been one of the most successful captive breeding programs. The program began in 1993 to help breed the species in captivity to save the species from complete extinction. The Bronx Zoo also has its own portion of Mariana fruit-doves. In the Mariana region, a "Promoting Protection through Pride" campaign on Rota has resulted in legislation fully protecting the species from hunting and trapping. A brown tree snake barrier has also been constructed in the region to support interdiction efforts.

A geographer could help save the Mariana Fruit-dove by using an implanted device to pin the brown tree snakes in the region with radio transmitters to track and understand their movements, habits, breeding behaviors, and many other things. This technique has shown to be successful in removing Burmese Pythons in Southern Florida. When you implant the device in a snake, you create a scout snake that will also help you locate other populations of brown tree snakes.

Five ways you can help save the Mariana Fruit Dove:

1. Donate to the Mariana Avifauna Conservation Program at the St. Louis zoo in Missouri or the conservation effort at the Bronx zoo in New York. A small donation will go a long way in conserving this population in captivity.

2. Voice your opinion about the illegal hunting and killing of the Mariana Fruit Dove. Advocate for creating a barrier to separate the brown tree snake from the Mariana fruit dove.

3. Donate to the WWF that will help protect threatened species and their habitats today. Add a note to your donation letting the organization know that you want it to go to Mariana Fruit Dove efforts.

4. Travel to Mariana on an ecotourism trip. Usually, when countries receive tourist money they don't have to seek out other money opportunities such as deforestation to make money.

5. Write letters to your politicians about the issue that the Mariana Fruit Dove faces today.