Status of Hawaii's Endangered Birds ?? (1 Viewer)

Richard Henry said:

I don't suppose there are any offshore islets that could be sanctuaries for the birds, are there? Does anyone know what, if anything, survives on Ni'ihau?

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The best sanctuaries for forest birds are the mid-high elevation areas on the larger islands, where the rainforests, high elevation dry forests, and forest reserves already are - as far from human habitation and agriculture as possible. The small islands Lana'i, Kahoolawe and Ni'ihau are very small and dry, don't have rainforest habitats, and could never support much wildlife. Ni'ihau has been a ranch for over a hundred years - I don't think it could have much/any habitat for forest birds. Actually, I haven't ever seen any information about what birds might have ever been there. Nihoa is already a bird sanctuary, with its millerbird. The sandbar islands further up the chain lost most of their native birds by rats and rabbits long ago.

On clear days I can see Maui, Lana'i and Kaho'olawe (and maybe Moloka'i rarely) out my window at work.

Thanks for the sites - good reading.

At least, there seems to be some hope.....cheers,

Ken

Richard Henry said:

I don't suppose there are any offshore islets that could be sanctuaries for the birds, are there? Does anyone know what, if anything, survives on Ni'ihau?

Click to expand...

Unfortunately, a major limiting factor for Hawaiian birds is avian malaria spread by tropical mosquitoes. Neither the disease nor the mosquitoes are native to Hawaii, so the native birds have little to no resistance. The mosquitoes are limited in elevation to under 3,500 feet, so the native birds are largely limited to being above 3,500 feet. Only the major islands are high enough to provide refuge above the mosquito zone.

Here's an interesting 1968 paper on the role of mosquitoes and disease in the extinction of Hawaiian birds, including very interesting historical notes and quotations:

http://www.cooper.org/pdf/p1971Warner1968.pdf

Hawaiian Crow

HAWAI'I Magazine.com, 18 Aug 2014: Nine Hawaiian crow chicks hatch at Hawaii Island endangered bird sanctuary, bringing total world population to 114.

Hawaiian Crow

Shortly before the reintroduction the total population of the 'Alala boost to 131

Stuart Butchart (BLI) via Twitter at the IUCNCongress in Honolulu, Hawaii.

https://twitter.com/stubutchart/status/773306786661015553