Hawai'i 'Akepa population crisis?

[bkrownd]

Here's an interesting link to a viewgraph presentation (PDF format) suggesting a recent Hawai'i 'Akepa population crisis. ('Akepa aren't very far from extinction.) I don't have the background info for it, though. It includes some very nice pictures of birds, as well.

http://www.hawaiiconservation.org/_library/documents/2006_hcc/freed%20hcc%202006.pdf

[Mabel]

Interesting indeed. I have studied birds from Samoa, but Hawai'i is another place I would love to visit.

[Mark Bruce]

Here's an interesting link to a viewgraph presentation (PDF format) suggesting a recent Hawai'i 'Akepa population crisis. ('Akepa aren't very far from extinction.) I don't have the background info for it, though. It includes some very nice pictures of birds, as well.

http://www.hawaiiconservation.org/_library/documents/2006_hcc/freed%20hcc%202006.pdfThanks, bkrownd. Interesting to see what our native Japanese White-eye do in Hawaii.

[bkrownd]

Thanks, bkrownd. Interesting to see what our native Japanese White-eye do in Hawaii.

They're very abundant at low elevations, but in my normal exploration territory at 5000 feet and up they're quite rare. The windward forest reserves and Hakalau NWR on the East slope of Mauna Kea where these studies are usually done are just below 5000 feet, and I'm not too familiar with that territory.

I also saw another old journal article on the Japanese White Eye which showed that if they're placed in a cage with a nest of another species' chicks, they'll feed the begging chicks. They were thinking of using them as some sort of a surrogate parent for captive breeding programs.

[bkrownd]

Here's an interesting link to a viewgraph presentation (PDF format) suggesting a recent Hawai'i 'Akepa population crisis.

Update: Recently I've heard some dispute of several conclusions in the above work. I visited Hakalua NWR last week, and saw several of the little tweeters flying around - many more of them than I can find in a whole day on the saddle.

[cuckooroller]

Update: Recently I've heard some dispute of several conclusions in the above work. I visited Hakalua NWR last week, and saw several of the little tweeters flying around - many more of them than I can find in a whole day on the saddle.

Hi Bk,
I just got done reading a thread wanting stuffed birds. I just ran across some small photos of Ciridops anna and Dysmorodepanis munroi. I will scan them out to stick them in my DB in the next few days. If you want copies (small and in B/W) send me your e-mail.

[bkrownd]

I'm confused... Do you mean my reply to the stuffed passenger pigeon photos?

The controversial one-of-a-kind "hookbill". (Thank you, Dole. Can we have another helping of malathion, please?) Makes you wonder how many species disappeared before those old-school collectors could shoot and stuff them. The hawane bird would have really been something to see. Sigh...

[cuckooroller]

I'm confused... Do you mean my reply to the stuffed passenger pigeon photos?

The controversial one-of-a-kind "hookbill". (Thank you, Dole. Can we have another helping of malathion, please?) Makes you wonder how many species disappeared before those old-school collectors could shoot and stuff them.

BK,
Don't be confused it isn't worth it, just the way my contorted mind works and they should disect my brain post-mortem to try and figure out why I was so nuts! The connection is only apparent to me - however, I am reading through the book by Pratt regarding Drepanidinae and happened to read through a just-started thread about Extinct Birds yesterday on BF. The connection is extinct birds..., but apparent only to me!

[bkrownd]

I also found a nice article on the 'ohi'a dieback phenomenon, which is important for 'akepa since they only seem to thrive in areas with numbers of large old 'ohi'a to provide adequate nesting cavities. There are no woodpeckers here to make cavities, so they have to occur naturally as the trees grow around the sockets of dead limbs, and 'ohi'a are very slow growers.

http://www.fs.fed.us/psw/publications/documents/psw_gtr086/psw_gtr086.pdf

http://www.ilz.uni-bonn.de/neobiota/hawaii/index.html

[emupilot]

I also found a nice article on the 'ohi'a dieback phenomenon, which is important for 'akepa since they only seem to thrive in areas with numbers of large old 'ohi'a to provide adequate nesting cavities. There are no woodpeckers here to make cavities, so they have to occur naturally as the trees grow around the sockets of dead limbs, and 'ohi'a are very slow growers.

http://www.fs.fed.us/psw/publications/documents/psw_gtr086/psw_gtr086.pdf

http://www.ilz.uni-bonn.de/neobiota/hawaii/index.html

If suitable cavity nest sites might be a limiting factor for 'akepa, this begs the question: has anyone tried putting out nest boxes?

[bkrownd]

If suitable cavity nest sites might be a limiting factor for 'akepa, this begs the question: has anyone tried putting out nest boxes?

I'll ask Jack Jeffrey. I think I asked him a couple weeks ago, but can't remember exactly. It would be a double-bonus if they could make attractive nest boxes that are rat proof. Google at least lists references to a study of it.