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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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Q: Which animals and birds live in the Banyan Tree?
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