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Common mynas have been introduced (often as biocontrol for insects) or colonised many islands in the Pacific. They are one cause of decline in some native bird species such as endemic kingfishers, and are a pest when they damage fruit and compete for

The Jungle myna (Acridotheres fuscus) was first recorded in Upolu in 1965, followed by the Common myna (Acridotheres tristis) in 1988 (Watling, 2001). It is believed they were introduced to control livestock ticks and unexpectedly became an invasive

In 1989, the kakerori (Pomarea dimidiata) was one of the ten rarest bird species in the world, with a declining population of just 29 birds living in south-eastern Rarotonga. As a result of conservation management, the kakerori population has rebound

Rattus rattus, or black rats, are rampaging through Tuvalu's atolls and gnawing through the country's chief export crop - coconuts. Coconuts and copra (dried coconut flesh from which coconut oil is made) are the islander's main source of revenue.

On 6 January 2004. cyclone Heta devastated much of the South Pacific island nation of Niue. Extensive damage was done to forest, particularly of the north- western sector, with many trees up-rooted and others stripped of branches and foliage. This re