The mariana swiftlet (aerodramus bartschi) is a federally endangered bird and a commonwealth of northern mariana islands (cnmi) species of greatest conservation need (sgcn) that has been extirpated…

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Region 1 awarded $156,672.55 to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) Department of Lands and Natural Resources under the Wildlife Restoration and Basic Hunter Education and Safety program (CFDA 15.611) for the period October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2027. This formula grant supports conservation and recovery efforts for the federally endangered Mariana Swiftlet (Aerodramus bartschi), an endemic species of greatest conservation need in the CNMI that has experienced population losses across the southern Mariana Islands.

The funded project will deliver critical research and monitoring services to inform swiftlet conservation planning and long-term species recovery. Primary products include: assessment of predator presence and activity at swiftlet cave roosts; investigation of swiftlet movement ecology and foraging behavior patterns using radiotelemetry tracking; and identification of cave management strategies to address invasive predators, habitat degradation, and human disturbance. Building upon long-term entrance and exit count data previously collected by the CNMI Division of Fish and Wildlife on Saipan, these research products will close existing knowledge gaps regarding predator threats and intra-island movement patterns, ultimately enabling evidence-based conservation planning for this island-endemic species.

The mariana swiftlet (aerodramus bartschi) is a federally endangered bird and a commonwealth of northern mariana islands (cnmi) species of greatest conservation need (sgcn) that has been extirpated from two of five southern mariana islands. While extant on guam, aguiguan, and saipan, populations face continued threats from invasive nest predators, habitat degradation, and human disturbance. On saipan, the cnmi division of fish and wildlife (DFW) has collected long-term entrance and exit count data, but critical gaps remain in understanding threats posed by predators and swiftlet movement between roost sites and foraging areas. This project will assesspredator presence and activity at swiftlet caves and investigate movement ecology of the species usingradiotelemetry. Results will inform cave management strategies and conservation planning, contributing to thelong term recovery of this island-endemic species.