peachfront
Well-known member
countability of bird species in Oahu, Hawaii ?
Folks, I have recently returned from a brief visit to Oahu, Hawaii, and I have a few questions I'd like to throw out there. We saw Koloa at the Ka'elepulu Wetland Preserve, however, the guide mentioned that there is considerable hybridization observed with Mallard and there is some debate about whether these Oahu birds should be counted. This would be a life bird for me, so I don't want to put it on my list if there is any question about whether it should be counted. Any consensus here?
I saw Feral Junglefowl on my own in the rainforest patch around Manoa Falls and Lyon Arboretum -- a good area by the way to easily find some of the most interesting birds like White-Rumped Shama, Red-Billed Leotrix, and Red-Whiskered Bulbul. Again, not clear on the countability of these Red or Feral Junglefowl. Again, as it would be a life bird, I'm leaning toward not counting the Junglefowl unless the consensus is that these are a true species.
A search of the forum suggests it has been awhile since Oahu has been discussed. When I get my trip report online, I'll post a link in this thread. For now, I'll just say that if you have only a day and want to grab a good area by bus, for birds and hiking and waterfalls, you could do a lot worse than taking the #5 bus to the Manoa terminus and spending the day hiking to the falls and exploring the nearby Lyon Arboretum. Apparently car break-in is a huge problem on Oahu, so the bus is a less stressful option since you can hop off and be on your way without worry. Some birds in the area are clearly noncountables, such as the large mixed flock of Cockatoo species with male Eclectus (!), but they are fun to watch. And you will find the Shama, Leotrix, Bulbuls, and more very easily. The Ka'elepulu reserve is small but also a "must" stop since at a glance we had the Hawaiian Coot, Hawaiian Gallinule, Hawaiian Black-Necked Stilt -- three endemics, one a full species (the coot).
Folks, I have recently returned from a brief visit to Oahu, Hawaii, and I have a few questions I'd like to throw out there. We saw Koloa at the Ka'elepulu Wetland Preserve, however, the guide mentioned that there is considerable hybridization observed with Mallard and there is some debate about whether these Oahu birds should be counted. This would be a life bird for me, so I don't want to put it on my list if there is any question about whether it should be counted. Any consensus here?
I saw Feral Junglefowl on my own in the rainforest patch around Manoa Falls and Lyon Arboretum -- a good area by the way to easily find some of the most interesting birds like White-Rumped Shama, Red-Billed Leotrix, and Red-Whiskered Bulbul. Again, not clear on the countability of these Red or Feral Junglefowl. Again, as it would be a life bird, I'm leaning toward not counting the Junglefowl unless the consensus is that these are a true species.
A search of the forum suggests it has been awhile since Oahu has been discussed. When I get my trip report online, I'll post a link in this thread. For now, I'll just say that if you have only a day and want to grab a good area by bus, for birds and hiking and waterfalls, you could do a lot worse than taking the #5 bus to the Manoa terminus and spending the day hiking to the falls and exploring the nearby Lyon Arboretum. Apparently car break-in is a huge problem on Oahu, so the bus is a less stressful option since you can hop off and be on your way without worry. Some birds in the area are clearly noncountables, such as the large mixed flock of Cockatoo species with male Eclectus (!), but they are fun to watch. And you will find the Shama, Leotrix, Bulbuls, and more very easily. The Ka'elepulu reserve is small but also a "must" stop since at a glance we had the Hawaiian Coot, Hawaiian Gallinule, Hawaiian Black-Necked Stilt -- three endemics, one a full species (the coot).
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