Forktail 28 (2012) SHORT NOTES 149 bird caught in the same net at the same time). We caught two Acknowledgements 'breeding' pairs, one at each of two different sites (Bakau and We are very grateful to Operation Wallacea Limited and their staff for Latafe). If we consider the retrapping rates at the two sites providing logistical support throughout our island biogeographic studies independently (Bakau-12.5%, Latafe-20%), this gives us annual and travels, as well as the people of the Wakatobi islands for hosting our survival rates of 50% and 58.5% respectively and mean life¬ visits. We would like to thank the project students and general volunteers span estimates of 2.4 years (1.4 years from survival rate + 1 year at who assisted us during our many netting sessions across the Wakatobi initial capture) and 2.9 years (1.9 years from survival rate + 1 year islands. We are also grateful to two anonymous referees for their comments at initial capture) respectively. These values approach those of on a draft of this paper. the Heron Island Silvereyes (3.1 years).The Heron Island white-eyes are known to show density dependence in their breeding References success (McCallum et al. 2000), but it is unclear whether the local van Balen, B. (2008) Family Zosteropidae (white-eyes). Pp.402-485 in J. del population density has any effects on annual survival (Kikkawa Hoyo, A. Elliott & D. A. Christie, eds. Handbook of the birds of the world, 1980). 13. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. We did not attract birds to the nets with recorded calls or songs Brook, B. W. & Kikkawa, J. (1998) Examining threats faced by island birds: a on our trips to Kaledupa, so it is unlikely that we caught all of the population viability analysis on the Capricorn silvereye using long-term local population on either of those visits. It is unclear whether data. J. Appl. Ecol. 35: 491-503. catching a larger sample would have increased or decreased our Burton, T. C. (1996) Changes in the abundance of silvereyes in a central longevity estimate. The presence of 'breeding' pairs at two of the Victorian vineyard during the grape-ripening period. Corella 20: 61-66. netting sites suggests a high degree of site fidelity, at least by some Freed, L. A.&Cann, R. L. (2009) Negative effects of an introduced bird species individuals. Other data demonstrate that there is little or no on growth and survival in a native bird community. Current Biol. 19:1736- movement of the Wakatobi Lemon-bellied White-eyes between 1740. islands (Kelly et at. unpubl. data), supporting the idea that the Hulbert, A. J., Pamplona, R., Buffenstein, R. & Buttemer, W. A. (2007) Life and Lemon-bellied White-eyes of the Wakatobi are generally sedentary death: metabolic rate, membrane composition, and life span of animals. in nature. Physiology Reviews 87:1175-1213. While we mist-netted on other islands across the Wakatobi Kikkawa, J. (1980) Winter survival in relation to dominance classes among archipelago during our 2010 field season (Wangi-Wangi, Hoga, silvereyes Zosterops lateralis chlorocephala of Heron Island, Great Barrier Tomia and Binongko), those other islands had only been visited Reef. Ibis 122:437-446. previously in 2005, not 2007. Furthermore, we did not make the McCallum, H., Kikkawa, J. & Catterall, C. (2000) Density dependence in an same effort on those other islands to revisit our former netting sites. island population of silvereyes. Ecology Letters 3: 95-100. The only birds we retrapped in 2010, from previous expeditions, McGregor, R„ Whittingham, M. J. & Cresswell, W. (2007) Survival rates of were those on Kaledupa. Therefore, it is unclear if the Lemon-bellied tropical birds in Nigeria, West Africa. Ibis 149:615-618. White-eyes of Kaledupa are especially long-lived in comparison to Moyle, R. G., Filardi, C. E., Smith, C. E. & Diamond, J. (2009) Explosive the populations of the species on the other Wakatobi islands. Pleistocene diversification and hemispheric expansion of a 'great Irrespective of this, it does appear that the Lemon-bellied White- speciator'. Proc. Natn. Acad. Sci. 106:1863-1868. eyes of Kaledupa are longer-lived than mainland populations of Seber, G. A. F. (1982) The estimation of animal abundance and related African Yellow White-eye and Silvereye. parameters. London: Griffin. While the current dataset is rather small, there appears to be a tendency for populations of Zosterops species to live longer on David J. KELLY and Nicola M. MARPLES, Trinity College Dublin, oceanic islands than on the mainland. We will endeavour to collect Department of Zoology, School of Natural Sciences, Dublin 2, Ireland; more data on the longevity of the Wakatobi bird populations to and Trinity Centre for Biodiversity Research, Trinity College Dublin, allow further investigation of these findings. College Green, Dublin 2, Ireland. Email: [email protected];[email protected] Migrating dragonflies: famine relief for resident Peregrine Falcons Falco peregrinus on islands CHANG-YONG CHOI & HYUN-YOUNG NAM The diet of the Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus has been well two adult Peregrines hunting migratory dragonflies, and discusses documented around the world. Peregrines are powerful predators the implications of dragonflies being a food source for falcons on which feed mainly on birds, and more than 1,000 avian species remote islands. ranging from 10 to 3,000 g in weight have so far been recorded as Hongdo, the study area, is a small island in the Republic of Korea prey (Ferguson-Lees & Christie 2001). However, there are also many located c.120 km south-west of the Korean Peninsula and 430 km reports of occasional consumption of insects (e.g. Pruett-Jones et from mainland China at 34°41 N 125°12'E, and is a key stopover al. 1980, Ritchie 1982, White & Brimm 1990, Oro& Telia 1995, White site for migratory birds that cross the Yellow Sea. More than 327 etal. 2002) as well as reptiles (Oro & Telia 1995) and mammals (e.g. bird species (about 63% of the total recorded in Korea) have been bats and rodents: Byre 1990, Bradley & Oliphant 1991). Although recorded on this island, but only ten, including a pair of Peregrines, insects are an uncommon food for Peregrines, such prey are diverse are resident (NPRI 2009). from small ones like the Plecoptera (stoneflies: Sumner & Davis The first observation of an adult Peregrine foraging on 2008) to large ones, which include some Hemiptera (cicadas: Pruett- dragonflies in flight was on 27 August 2009; it took three dragonflies Jones et al. 1980, Ellis etal. 2007), Orthoptera (grasshoppers and during 8 minutes of observation. Over the next few days, the crickets: Pruett-Jones etal. 1980, White & Brimm 1990, White etal. foraging activities of two adults hunting dragonflies were 2002) and Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies: White etal. 2002). occasionally but repeatedly observed, including at least 20 more Insects may be more important in Peregrine diets than is commonly dragonfly captures (Figure 1). Most such foraging attempts were believed (Snyder & Wiley 1976, Ellis etal. 2007). This article reports made in foggy conditions with still air, apparently irrespective of 150 SHORT NOTES Forktail 28 (2012) Figure 1. A Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus feeding on a dragonfly (Lesser Emperor Anaxparthenope) on Hongdo, Republic of Korea. time of day. No such foraging was seen after 30 August, even swarms during ocean crossings (Corbet 2004, Anderson 2009, though the survey continued right through the year. Borisov 2009). On 29 November 2009, close examination of the pair's plucking As residents of Hongdo, we conducted daily bird counts perches at the top of some rocky cliffs revealed the remains of a throughout the year and managed a bird-ringing programme to dragonfly wing amidst the feathers and carcasses of diverse avian monitor bird migration. There are no breeding seabird colonies species. Newly fledged Peregrines often pursue flying insects, to nearby, so the Hongdo Peregrines rely mainly on the diverse improve their hunting skills rather than for any energetic reward transient birds in spring (March to May) and autumn (September (Dekker 1999, Razafimanjato et al. 2009); however, the chasing of to November) and on the abundant wintering seabirds from dragonflies by these adults on Hongdo was clearly unnecessary November to January. The lowest numbers of bird species and for such learning, and indicates that these Peregrines were individuals have been recorded in summer, particularly from June targeting dragonflies as a food source. to August, between the two migratory seasons (Figure 2), and this In the study area, based on field collection and observations, pattern of occurrence results in a reduced availability of birds in the dominant migratory dragonflies in August were Globe the diets of the two Peregrines when large numbers of migratory Skimmers Pantala flavescens. Scarlet Skimmers Crocothemisservilia, dragonflies arrive at Hongdo whilst crossing the Yellow Sea. Lesser Emperors Anax parthenope and a species of meadowhawk The wet weights of the Lesser Emperors and Globe Skimmers or darter Sympetrum kunckeli were also recorded but more rarely. at the study site were only 0.95±0.26 g (n=6) and 0.31 ±0.04 g Since Hongdo lacks wetlands, none of the dragonfly species breeds (n=16), respectively. However, migratory dragonflies in swarms, there, but huge (more than tens of thousands) swarms of them particularly Globe Skimmers, have been suggested to be a potential routinely pass over the study site during their southward migration food source for migrating raptors, particularly Amur Falcons Falco from July to September. Although it was impossible to identify to amurensis, which cross the Indian Ocean without any other species all dragonflies taken, the two species confirmed as prey identified prey (Anderson 2009). The Hongdo Peregrines' behaviour were the largest, Lesser Emperor, and the most abundant, Globe suggests that dragonflies migrating in large numbers may also be Skimmer. Like many dragonflies that cover distances of hundreds famine relief food for sedentary raptors on remote islands. orthousands of kilometres, both species are intercontinental long¬ Prey abundance is an important factor in prey selection of distance migrants with worldwide distributions, forming big Peregrines (Bradley &Oliphant 1991), and they may take advantage of the easily obtainable prey occurring in large concentrations (Byre Figure 2. Monthly changes in the number of bird species and 1990), even though the prey is not part of their usual diet. The abundance counted every day in 2007 on Hongdo. proportion of dragonflies in the overall diet of Peregrines is probably low in both frequency and biomass, and the energetic reward from hunting dragonflies is unclear; nevertheless, this report implies that migratory and swarming insects may be important in Peregrine diets under certain circumstances such as low preferred- prey abundance and limited visibility. Acknowledgements We thank all researchers and staff at the Migratory Birds Center of the Korea National Park Service who are involved in the migratory bird monitoring programme with us on Hongdo. References Anderson, R. C. (2009) Do dragonflies migrate across the western Indian Ocean? J. Trop. Ecol. 25: 347-358. Borisov, S. N. (2009) Study of dragonfly (Odonata) migrations in the western Tien Shan Mountains using ornithological traps. Entomol. Review 89: 1025-1029. Bradley, M.&Oliphant, L.W. (1991) The diet of Peregrine Falcons in Rankin Inlet, Northwest Territories: an unusually high proportion of mammalian prey. Condor 93:193-197. Byre, V. J. (1990) A group of young Peregrine Falcons preying on migrating Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec bats. Wilson Bull. 102: 728-730. Forktail 28 (2012) SHORT NOTES 151 Corbet, P. S. (2004) Dragonflies: behaviour and ecology of Odonata. Snyder, F. N. & Wiley, J. W. (1976) Sexual size dimorphism in hawks and Colchester, U.K.: Harley Books. owls of North America. Ornithol. Monogr. 20:1-96. Dekker, D. (1999) Bolt from the blue: wild Peregrines on the hunt. Surrey, U.K.: Sumner, J. & Davis, K. (2008) Observations of adult Peregrine Falcons Hancock House. capturing stoneflies. Western Birds 39: 220-224. Ellis, D. H., LaRue, C. T., Fackler, J. K. & Nelson, R. W. (2007) Insects White, C. M. & Brimm, D. J. (1990) Insect hawking by a Peregrine Falcon predominate in Peregrine Falcon predation attempts in Arizona. {Falco peregrinus) in Fiji. Notornis 37:140. Western Birds 38:261-267. White, C. M., Clum, N. J., Cade, T. J. & Hunt, W. G. (2002) Peregrine Falcon Ferguson-Lees, J. & Christie, D. A. (2001) Raptors of the world. London: (Falco peregrinus). In A. Poole and F.Gill, eds. The birds of North America. Christopher Helm. 660. Washington DC: Academy of Natural Sciences Philadelphia, and [NPRI] National Park Research Institute (2009) Annual report on migratory American Ornithologists' Union. bird researches. Namwon, Korea: National Park Research Institute. Oro, D. & Telia, J. L. (1995) A comparison of two methods for studying the Chang-Yong CHOI, Migratory Birds Center, National Park Research diet of the Peregrine Falcon. J. Raptor Res. 29: 207-210. Institute, Korea National Park Service, Jin-ri, Heuksan-myeon, Shi nan- Pruett-Jones, S. G., White, C. M. & Devine, W. R. (1980) Breeding of the gun, Jeonnam Province 535-917,the Republic of Korea. Email: Peregrine Falcon in Victoria, Australia. Emu 80: 253-269. [email protected] Razafimanjato, G., Rene de Roland, L.-A., Rabearivony, J. & Thorstrom, R. (2009) Nesting biology and food habits of the Peregrine Falcon Falco Hyun-Young NAM, Migratory Birds Center, National Park Research peregrinus radama in the south-west and central plateau of Institute, Korea National Park Service, Jin-ri, Heuksan-myeon, Shi nan- Madagascar. Ostrich 78: 7-12. gun, Jeonnam Province 535-917,the Republic of Korea. Email: Ritchie, R. J. (1982) Porcupine quill and beetles in Peregrine castings, Yukon [email protected] River, Alaska. Raptor Res. 16: 59-60. Breeding of the Japanese Murrelet Synthliboramphus wumizusume in South Korea DONG-WON KIM, CHANG-WAN KANG, HWA-JUNG KIM, YOUNG-SOO KWON & JIN-YOUNG PARK The global population of Japanese Murrelet Synthliboramphus evidence of breeding in Russia: a dead juvenile was found in wumizusume is believed to number only 4,000-10,000 birds, and Boysman Bay in July 1984 (BirdLife International 2001). owing to a rapid population decline the species has been In South Korea, breeding was first recorded at Daegugul Island designated as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List (Carter et al. 2002, (Daeguguldo), Shinan county, Jeollanam province, off the south¬ Bird Life International 2011,IUCN 2011). Almost all of the population west coast of South Korea (Figure 1): three breeding pairs were breeds on uninhabited rocky islands in Japan, mainly in Kyushu found here for the first time on 10 May 1983 (Kyunghyang Shinmun and on the Izu Islands, between mid-February and early May 1983, Won 1992). The Korean Government designated Daegugul (BirdLife International 2001, Carter et al. 2002). There is also Island as National Monument no. 341 in 1984 for the protection of breeding seabirds, and designated the species itself as no. 450 in Figure 1. Map of South Korea and the locations of (A) Daegugul Island, March 2005. (B) Dok Island, and (C) Jeju Island. Subsequent records in both breeding and non-breeding seasons were restricted to the south coast of South Korea (Park 2002, Oh 2004) until the discovery of a second breeding site: Dok Island (Dokdo), Ulleung county, Gyeongsangbuk province. Dok Island is located in the East Sea (Sea of Japan), c.220 km from mainland South Korea, and is composed of two main islands (Dong Island and Seo Island) and dozens of small islets (Figure 1). On 28 May 2005, an adult and a chick were found dead on Dong Island (37°14'21"N 131 °52'07"E) and Seo Island (37°14'35"N 131 °51'53"E), respectively, by YSK. The dead adult was lying on the shore and the dead chick was floating on the sea with its head pecked by an unknown predator (Figure 2a; Kwon & Yoo 2005). In 2009, a fledgling and two adults were filmed leaving the island at night by the Seoul Broadcast System in a programme entitled Dokdo, Saengmyeong-ui Ddang [Dok Island, the Land of Life] (see http://www.pandora.tv/ video.ptv?c1=08&c2=0175&ch_userid=loveasia&prgid=39061826 and http://www.pandora.tv/video.ptv7d =08&c2=0175&ch_userid =loveasia&prgid=39061822}. Subsequently, a dead adult was found on Dong Island on 15 July 2010 by JYP. These records suggest that Japanese Murrelet breeds on the island, although active nests have not yet been found. Here, we report a third breeding area of this species in South Korea: Jeju Island in Jeju Special Self-Governing Province (hereafter 'Jeju province'), which is the southernmost island in South Korea (Fig. 1).The possibility of Japanese Murrelet breeding on Jeju Island was anticipated owing to regular observation of adults during the breeding season at sea between Gapa and Mara Islands south-west