Mariana Islands

Mariana Islands

Rufous Fantail

Located in the western North Pacific Ocean, the Mariana Islands are home to 19 endemic bird species and subspecies that are threatened by the introduction of the Brown Tree Snake. This snake, which was introduced to the island of Guam before 1950, has already been responsible for the extinction or extirpation of nine of 12 species of native forest birds on Guam, and has been determined the single greatest threat to terrestrial ecosystems in the other islands in the Mariana archipelago.

The National Aviary is working in collaboration with the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands’ Division of Fish and Wildlife, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the nonprofit group Pacific Bird Conservation, and Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) accredited zoos to address this major threat to birds through the Marianas Avifauna Conservation (MAC) project.

Working primarily on the islands of Rota, Tinian, and Saipan, the MAC Project seeks to safeguard the unique avian diversity of these islands from potential extinctions that could result from introduction of the brown tree snake from nearby Guam. The MAC Project’s long-term plan is two-fold. Together, we are working to establish satellite populations of threatened species, and proactively breed birds in human care.

In The News

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Cathedral of Learning peregrine falcon pair lays first egg of season | Yahoo! News

Carla laid the egg on Sunday afternoon. She will likely lay at least three more.

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Cathedral of Learning peregrine falcon pair lays first egg of season | WPXI

The National Aviary says the peregrine falcons living high up on the side of the Cathedral of Learning have welcomed their first egg of the season.

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First Peregrine falcon egg laid atop Cathedral of Learning | Audacy

The first Peregrine falcon egg of the season has been laid atop the University of Pittsburgh’s Cathedral of Learning.

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Peregrine falcons nesting atop Pitt’s Cathedral of Learning lay first egg of the season | 90.5 WESA

Dedicated — perhaps eagle-eyed — viewers of the National Aviary’s peregrine falcon camera may have spotted the pair’s first egg of the season over the weekend.

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Cathedral of Learning peregrine falcons welcome 1st egg of the season | TribLive

The Cathedral of Learning’s feathered residents have welcomed a new addition to the nest.

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