Which animals and birds live in the Banyan Tree?
Native banyan tree or āoa is very important for wildlife. In
fact, a good case can be made that they are the most important tree
species for the fruit-eating birds and bats of Samoa. There are two
reasons why they are so important. First, they produce enormous
amounts of fruit. When one of the huge banyans has crop of fruit,
its spreading crown has room for a whole army of hungry
fruit-eaters. In a single tree, scientist have seen three lupe
(Pacific Pigeons), eight manutagi (Purple-capped Fruit-Doves), four
manuma (Many-colored Fruit-Doves), a dozen fuia (Samoan Starling),
scattered iao (Wattled Honeyeaters), and miti vao (Polynesian
Starlings) - all at the same time. No other Samoan trees provide
such a feast. The second reason why banyans are so important is
that they fruit at all times of year. Most kinds of large forest
trees have a definite fruiting season: for example, asi tends to
fruit from April to July, but some banyans have ripe fruit every
month of the year. Between 10-30% of banyan trees have ripe fruit
in any given month. This means that a fruit-eater can always find
banyan fruit, even if all other fruits were out of season.
One Samoan bird has come to depend on the reliable banyan. This
is the manuma, or Many-colored Fruit-Dove, one of the rarest birds
on Tutuila. In two years of observation, I have recorded manuma
eating fruit on 99 occasions. In 98 of these 99 times, the manuma
were eating banyan fruit (the one exception was berries of the sogā
bush). One probable reason why the manuma is so rare today is the
loss of many banyan trees, particularly in the Tafuna Plain. If
this bird is to survive here, it is essential that banyan trees be
protected, and, if possible, increased in number. In addition to
their important role in feeding wildlife, āoa trees also provide
homes for many animals. Lulu(Barn Owls) frequently sleep and nest
in the hollow trunks. Tava'e (tropicbirds) find large nesting
shelters, and fuia (Samoan Starlings) and ti'otala (White-collared
Kingfisher) find protected nest holes. From its open, sheltered
base to its spreading, fruit-laden crown, a banyan tree is a haven
for wildlife.
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