Kauaʻi Endangered Seabird Recovery Project

Kauaʻi’s endangered seabirds face a number of threats, including introduced predators, loss of breeding habitat, habitat modification from invasive plants or introduced ungulates, light attraction and collision with powerlines.  These are leading to the catastrophic declines we are currently seeing today.  So what can be done about this?  There are a number of large-scale measures now underway through organizations such as the Kauaʻi Endangered Seabird Recovery Project, but there are also many ways that you yourself can help too.

Turn lights out during seabird fledging season

During the fledging season (which spans mid September to mid December), newly fledged birds are attracted to artificial light sources.  This issue is particularly exacerbated during periods when the nights are dark (i.e. when there is a new moon, or heavy cloud cover).  Turning unnecessary lights out during this period, using lower intensity light bulbs and shielding outside lights so that light shines downward instead of into the sky are all simple ways of reducing this impact.  And it saves money too!

Rescue downed seabirds

Save our Shearwaters (SOS) is a native bird rehabilitation organization that cares for and re-releases all injured native Hawaiian bird species.  During seabird fallout season, aid stations are set up around the island at fire stations and other locales to facilitate the collection of downed seabirds, so they can be health-checked by SOS before being released. Be vigilant during this period (September-December) for downed seabirds, particularly around bright light sources in areas like Waimea, Kekaha, Hanapepe, Eleʻele, Port Allen, Lihue, Kapaʻa and Hanalei.  If you find a downed seabird in an urban area, it is a victim of fallout. Carefully collect it, take it to an aid station and call the SOS 24-hour hotline at (808) 635-5117). SOS will do the rest! If these downed birds are not collected then they will either die of starvation, exposure, or predation, so please make sure you pick them up and deliver them to safety. For more information on the SOS project, as well as exact locations of aid stations, check out their website using the link below:

https://saveourshearwaters.org/

If youʻd like to pass on information to us about the location of downed birds, or areas where you have found downed birds in the past, feel free to drop us an email on our ‘Contact Us’ page. We regularly use this kind of information in our light pollution reduction work. 

Keep cats indoors

Cats can cause significant damage to breeding colonies of endangered seabirds, and a single cat can quickly kill off multiple breeding adults in a short period of time causing long-term damage to the breeding population. Keeping pet cats indoors and removing feral cat populations are ways to reduce this pressure. 

Prevent other invasive species from arriving

The arrival of the mongoose on other Hawaiian islands has been devastating to native breeding birds, and the fact that they have yet to establish on Kauaʻi is part of the reason why the island is still a haven for rare endemics.  Unfortunately, this may be about to change.  In May and then July of 2012, two mongoose were captured on the island of Kauai by members of the Kauai Invasive Species Committee (KISC) and since that point an on-going control program has been operational to attempt to prevent the species from becoming established on the island.  Being vigilant to the appearance of new introduced predators like the mongoose, or species of snakes for example, is therefore critical.  Make sure that you don’t bring anything harmful back with you when you come back from overseas – invasive weeds, invertebrates and other pests can have a devastating impact on fragile island ecosystems, so preventing them from getting here in the first place is the easiest solution. Wash your gear and shoes to be sure they are free from seeds before going back out. Have a look at KISCs website (http://www.kauaiisc.org) to see what you can do when you spot an invasive species, and if you see a mongoose in particular please report it immediately: 

KISC Office: (808) 821-1490
E-mail: kisc@hawaii.edu

Prevent the spread of Rapid Ohiʻa Death

‘Ōhi‘a trees are a keystone species of our native forest, and seabirds depend on healthy ‘ōhi‘a forests for good breeding habitat. ‘Ōhi‘a roots provide structure for seabird burrows, and in turn seabird guano fertilizes the soil that nourishes the trees. Rapid ‘Ōhi‘a Death, or ROD, is spreading through ‘ōhi‘a forests here on Kauaʻi. It is caused by a fungus that can infect ‘ōhi‘a trees through any kind of open wound. The fungus is not detectable with the naked eye, but a telltale symptom is that either leaves on isolated branches or the whole crown of ‘ōhi‘a trees will turn brown once infected. For a detailed description of ROD symptoms, please see the KISC website page on ROD here: https://www.kauaiisc.org/pests/rod/.

KISC is actively monitoring the spread of ROD. If you see an ‘ōhi‘a tree with a reddish-brown crown, report it immediately to saveohia@hawaii.edu.

To prevent ROD from spreading further, make sure to never injure ‘ōhi‘a and to wash all soil from boots and gear after hiking or working in ROD-infected areas.

Stay informed

The more you know about issues facing our native seabirds, the more you can spread the word about how to help! Seabird fallout is a solve-able problem- it just requires spreading the word about the benefits of reducing light pollution. Join our email list and follow us on social media to stay updated on our work and opportunities to get involved with our light pollution reduction efforts.