At a Glance
The Fatu Hiva Monarch is a rare flycatcher known for its distinctive “cri-ri-a-rik” call often compared to the shrill meow of a cat. It only lives on Fatu Hiva in the Maraquessa Islands of French Polynesia. The species was common in the thick forest habitats on the island until about 2000.
Non-native predators are the main threat to the Fat Hiva Monarch including rats and feral cats. Black Rats were introduced to the island during the 1980s and the species began declining during the 1990s. The rats preyed on juvenile birds and eggs. By 2000 scientists estimated that there were no more than 1,000 birds remaining on the island, and that number dropped precipitously until 2009 when there were fewer than 70 individual birds living in a very small area of the Omoa Valley on Fatu Hiva.
At a glance
Taxa
Birds
Geography
French Polynesia
Status
Critically Endangered
Habitat
Forest
Estimated Population
About 30 individuals
Threats
Invasive rats; feral cats; habitat loss; fires; avian malaria
Potential Recovery Actions
Invasive species control; conservation breeding; translocation; anti-malaria management
