Current view: Text account
Site description (2006 baseline):
Site location and context
This site covers the upper slopes of Tomaniivi or Mt Victoria, Fiji’s highest mountain 1,324m asl, and extends on to the lower slopes in the north-east.
Greater Tomaniivi is perhaps the best hope for Red-throated Lorikeet surviving anywhere in the world but ongoing surveys are still required to confirm its current status. The population of Long-legged Warblers may be much larger than currently known but, again, requires further fieldwork.
Non-bird biodiversity: Tomaniivi supports several threatened plants, some of which are endemic to the mountain, e.g. Schefflera costata. Recent PABITRA (IAS/Dept Forestry/ BirdLife/WCS) surveys at Wabu discovered the tree Acmopyle sahniana, Fijian Blossom-bat and an insectivorous bat, probably Polynesian Sheath-tail-bat. Herpetological surveys have found very few reptiles or amphibians (but include the endemic Fijian Tree Frog and Green Tree Skink, perhaps because the site is relatively cold.
The IBA combines Tomaniivi Nature Reserve and Wabu Forest Reserve with other contiguous forests to form a single forest block. Tomaniivi contains a significant proportion of the highest-altitude montane forest in Fiji, an important habitat for birds and other biodiversity. The forest on Tomaniivi is classified as lowland to 700 m, upland (montane) forest between 700 m and 850 m, and cloud forest (montane cloud forest) from 850 m to the summit at 1,324 m. In the lower valley of the Wabu creek, dense stands of Dakua form an unbroken canopy in places. The boundaries of the IBA encompass the entirety of these two reserves. To the south are forestry plantations and agriculture. To the west the forest is patchy and mostly logged, extending to the Nausori Highlands, but retains many interesting bird species, notably a high population density of Black-faced Shrikebills. To the east, the forest continues along the central Viti Levu highlands and is patchy and degraded but is currently still contiguous with the next IBA, Rairaimatuku Highlands.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Invasive alien species. Plants, Mongoose, Black Rat. Logging.
Conservation responses/actions for key biodiversity
Tomaniivi Nature Reserve and Wabu Forest Reserve are protected by government and their conservation future should be secure. There remains, however, the problem of invasive alien species. Alien plants spread up the trail to the summit and mongoose are found even in the most remote parts of Wabu. The impact of invasive alien species on Fijian birds is poorly known but this IBA may have historically supported colonies of Collared Petrels which are now extirpated from Viti Levu as a result of mongoose predation. More importantly, the recent decline and possible extinction of Red-throated Lorikeet has no clear explanation but may be caused by chronic predation by Black Rats. Rats could be controlled at Greater Tomaniivi but this would be expensive and best justified if nesting Red-throated Lorikeets could be found. A second potential problem is the protection status of forest reserves which allows them to be managed in a way which could include logging. The Wabu Forest Reserve is of such international importance that it warrants a management plan forbidding any such activities or an upgrade in status to nature reserve. Tomaniivi/Mt Victoria is uniquely placed to attract tourists wishing to climb the short (but steep) trail to the summit. The village of Navai and other local villages and landowners have created a small tourism industry to accommodate and guide visitors who wish to climb the mountain. This could be developed to include more conservation awareness for both the tourists and the villages, and to improve the income generated from the reserves. Access to Wabu is authorised only by permission of the Department of Forestry.
The IBA comprises two large government reserves, Tomaniivi Nature Reserve (13km
2) and Wabu Forest Reserve (11km
2) both leased by the Department of Forestry.
The nearest village, Navai, is situated on the road at the base of the Tomaniivi trail but other villages also have land-ownership rights over the IBA. These land-owners lease the reserves to the government. The land tenure includes part of one large Native Reserve, 53 Native Lands (totalling about 14,125 ha), two Crown Lands (2,016 ha) and one Freehold (1,282 ha).
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Greater Tomaniivi (Fiji). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/greater-tomaniivi-iba-fiji on 22/11/2024.
