Endangered Species | Images of Old Hawaiʻi

Hawai‘i has been labeled the endangered species capital of the world. We have more endangered species per square mile than any other place on earth.

Of the extinctions that have been documented, 28 species of bird, 72 land snails, 74 insects and 97 plants have disappeared. (Hawaii Biodiversity)

The State, in partnership with a bunch of federal, university and private interests, conducts dozens of projects across the state to monitor, protect and enhance native and endangered species populations.

Statewide surveys to monitor population status and trend for water birds, sea birds and forest birds are conducted on all the main islands.

The surveys contribute to long term data to understand population changes and to provide early detections of any potential threats to population stability.

A project on Kauai has been developed to use modified marine radar to survey threatened and endangered seabirds that fly inland to nest at night.

The surveys are critical to a determination of the population status of these species that appear to have experienced a severe population decline.

Also notable was the discovery of what is perhaps the largest known breeding colony of the endangered Hawaiian Petrel on Lanai. This species was feared to have declined or been lost from Lanai until crews conducted extensive night surveys using radar.

Full-time field teams are now deployed to coordinate and conduct special projects for select species and habitats. These include the Kauai Endangered Seabird Project, the Kauai Forest Bird Recovery Team and the Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project.

These teams carry out management needs for native birds that include predator control, population monitoring, assessment of threats, and reintroduction into new habitats to reestablish populations.

Keauhou Bird Conservation Center Discovery Forest in Volcano, Hawai‘i Island has been saving critically endangered Hawaiian birds from extinction and restoring these species in the wild. Birds being cared for include the ‘Alalā, Palila, ‘Akeke‘e, and ‘Akikiki.

Likewise, there are other groups and agencies that support and participate in recovery activities, including DLNR, USGS, US Fish and Wildlife Service and others.

A field unit for the recovery of the ‘Alala, Hawaii’s most critically endangered species has been established. The ‘Alala Recovery Team is involved in an extensive community and landowner involvement program to lead the recovery of this species.

For many of Hawaii’s most critically endangered species, captive propagation and reintroduction is the only viable recovery strategy. Captive propagation programs are continuing for these species, which include five forest bird species and hundreds of plant species.

Notable long-term program successes include:
• Nēnē – (the State Bird) recovered from a population on the brink of extinction with fewer than 50 birds to an estimated 3,862 (2022 annual survey)
• ‘Alala – saved from extinction with a captive flock that has grown to over 115
• Puaiohi – recovering from a population numbering only a few dozen to approximately 494 (found only on Kauai)
• Palila – a new population has been established on the north slope of Mauna Kea (I recall the excitement and flurry of e-mails going around announcing a new nest with eggs on the north slope when I was at DLNR)

To date, hundreds of birds have been reintroduced into native habitats statewide. In addition, an extensive cooperative partnership continues a program for propagation and outplanting of native plants, maintaining hundreds of species, and outplanting thousands of plants into the wild.

There are a lot of people across the state (as well as support from the mainland) that are doing waaay cool stuff to help with the recovery of Hawai‘i’s native bird populations. We owe each our gratitude for their commitment and hard work. Thank you to all.

The images illustrate the Nēnē and ‘Alala on the top (L-R) and the Puaiohi and Palila on the bottom (L-R.)

I vividly remember a meeting of the Board of Land and Natural Resources, in September 2004. In the middle of the meeting, my secretary came into the room and approached me.

She knew that I frowned upon interruptions of Land Board meetings (in fact, this was the one and only time it happened in the over-four years I was chair); but she also knew of my interest and concern about the Po‘ouli.

She handed me a note and shared the great news, which I then shared with the rest of the people at the Land Board meeting.

They caught a Po‘ouli.

The Po‘ouli is a stocky Hawaiian honeycreeper endemic to Maui that was not discovered until 1973. Po‘ouli have short wings and tail, a finch-like bill and distinctive plumage.

Aptly named “black-faced” in Hawaiian, Po‘ouli have a large black face mask, white cheeks, throat and underparts and brown wings and back; no other Hawaiian forest bird is similarly colored.

It has been listed as Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct) and probably holds the distinction of being the most endangered bird in the world.

In 1980, the Poʻouli population was estimated at 140 birds. Last seen in 2003 and 2004, there are only two known individuals: one male and one female.

The two remaining birds are at least seven years old and are nearing the end of their reproductive lifespan; unfortunately, they had differing home ranges.

The exact causes of Poʻouli’s rapid population decline, since the species’ discovery in 1973, are not well understood.

The Po‘ouli is likely susceptible to the same factors that threaten other native Hawaiian forest birds, including: loss and degradation of habitat, predation by introduced mammals (including cats, rats and mongoose) and disease.

The remaining Poʻouli individuals were found in windswept, high-elevation rainforest on the northeast slope of Haleakala Volcano.

I remember a previous helicopter trip flying over this region on our way to Waikamoi with folks from The Nature Conservancy; we knew that people were on the ground trying to capture the, then, three remaining Poʻouli.

Crews were attempting to catch the elusive birds to attempt to breed them in captivity; since it appeared natural breeding was not occurring.

Then members of the Maui Forest Bird Conservation Center captured one of the only three remaining Po‘ouli birds that had been known to exist. The male was a very old individual with only one eye.

The other two individuals, believed to be the only remaining Po’ouli in the world, were last seen during this same period and then were never seen again.

In the following days, I was included in the flurry of e-mails for days after this; the excitement, anticipation and hope that each shared in the prospect of saving a species was phenomenal. This was an exciting time to be at DLNR.

However, scientists’ efforts for captive breeding were crushed when, on November 26, 2004, despite attempts to help the bird, he died. (However, scientists successfully took tissue samples for possible future cloning.)

I want to make sure people realize and appreciate the magnitude of this story. We are talking about the possible end of a species. Someone, a few short years ago, had in his hands potentially the last bird of its species.

Sad as this story ends, it is an example of the kind of stuff that happens in resource management, especially in a place like Hawaiʻi where there are so many plants and animals that are endangered.

There is a lot of good work being done by a lot of good people to save a lot of species at risk. Thank you to all.

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