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Grenada Dove drinking at threatened well April 2012
Grenada Dove drinking side by side with congener species April 2012
Nicholas Michael Bolton
Establish the habitat requirements and address the threats to the Grenada Dove. In the process provide training to the government National Park Officers for long-term management of the Grenada Dove.
Mt. Hartman National Park, in the south-west of Grenada, is home to over 50% of the Grenada Dove population, which numbers fewer than 200 birds (Rusk, 2008 unpub. report). The exact causes of the Grenada Dove’s rarity are relatively unknown. Habitat destruction is a major threat to the survival of this critically endangered island endemic.
Mt. Hartman. © N Bolton.
A hotel development recommencing in 2012, will remove portions of Grenada Dove territory dry forest habitat from this area. Mt. Hartman is a drought-zone and manmade wells are thought to be an important resource to the Grenada Dove. Unfortunately these wells are in the threatened area. Introduced small Indian mongoose Herpestes auropunctatus have been found in large densities at Mt Hartman (10/ha: Nellis and Everard,1983, 1983) and a control programme has been proposed to eliminate the chances of Grenada Dove predation. Wildlife-disease has not previously been investigated as another possible extinction driver.
Grenada Dove. © N Bolton.
This project’s aims are to research the habitat selection of Grenada Doves and, with the involvement of Grenadian people, begin to investigate the limiting factors of the Grenada Dove’s recovery. The specific aims of the project are to:
1. Investigate habitat selection of the Grenada Dove.
2. Establish a methodology to monitor introduced mongoose levels.
3. Train the local people to monitor mongoose levels to enable them to carry out effective predator control of this invasive species.
4. Record dove-activity at the threatened manmade wells in the Mt. Hartman area.
5. Investigate the presence Trichomonas gallinae in the well water.
6. Effectively communicate the results.
The findings of this project will enable the Grenadian Government and the Grenada Dove Conservation Programme to: mitigate for the habitat lost from the hotel development; scientifically monitor the effectiveness of the mongoose control programme; create a case to protect the manmade wells at Mt. Hartman, and; begin to investigate wildlife disease as a possible limiting factor for the Grenada Dove.