Kauai's Birds - Here Tomorrow?

The nearly 100 miles of ocean between Kaua`i and O`ahu is the greatest distance separating any of the main Hawaiian islands. As Hawai`i evolved, this separation made much of the biological community on the Garden Island distinct. The large area of native forest has been home to many exceptional species of birds. Far too many of these unique creatures have become extinct due to natural disasters and introduced species. Too many others are imperiled by these same threats.

'akialoa

One of the birds whose song is no longer heard in the forests of Kaua`i is the Kaua`i `akialoa. While considered numerous in the 1890s, the population started declining in the early 1900s. Despite intensive searches and rumors that the Kaua`i `akialoa may still persist, no confirmed sightings have been made since 1965. Some still hold out hope that survivors may still exist in remote tracts of intact native forest.

The Kaua`i `akialoa was a bark-creeper, frequently picking insects from cracks and crevices or probing in clumps of moss and lichen, the bark of trees, and in the bases of `ie`ie. They also fed on the nectar of `ohi`a and lobeliads with their enormous sickle-shaped bill.

The `akialoa’s habit of frequenting forest edges and low elevations may have exposed them to introduced diseases, starting their journey toward extinction.

puaiohi

The puaiohi, or small Kaua`i thrush, is found only on the island of Kaua`i. Listed as endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the state Division of Forestry and Wildlife, the puaiohi is considered by the Hawai`i Natural Heritage Program to be critically imperiled globally and especially vulnerable to extinction.

The puaiohi is currently very rare and restricted to the high elevation `ohi`a forest in the Alakai Swamp. The Hawaii Forest Bird Survey of two decades ago estimated the population at merely two to three dozen.

The puaiohi is dark brown and grey with pinkish legs. The tail is short, the bill slender and dark. They lay two or three pale, greenish-blue eggs with reddish-brown splotches in nests placed in moss-covered gulch banks.

Puaiohi feed primarily on fruits and insects. These extremely secretive birds are most frequently observed near stream banks covered with ferns, sedges, and mosses.

Puaiohi appear not to tolerate changes in the environment. The spread of alien plants into the Alakai Swamp and the proliferation of goats and pigs must be controlled if this species is to survive.

'o'u

`O`u once inhabited the islands of Kaua`i, O`ahu, Moloka`i, Lana`i, Maui, and Hawai`i. Today, the species is very scarce and can only be found on the islands of Kaua`i and Hawai`i, where it resides in the upper canopy of `ohi`a forests. On Kaua`i, they live at the 3-5,000 foot elevation in the Alakai Swamp.

The `o`u is a rather plump bird with a finch-like, pinkish bill. The male `o`u has a bright yellow head and an olive-green back tinged with yellow. The wings and tail are blackish brown and fringed with olive-green. The female and younger `o`u are duller and lack a yellow head.

`O`u forage primarily on fruit. They eat a variety of native fruits, preferring `ie`ie berries. Introduced guava and mountain apple are also included in the `o`u's diet, as well as `ohi`a buds, nectar and various small insects.

The `o`u is one of Hawaii's rarest birds. Its survival is threatened by habitat destruction, introduced predators, and avian diseases. On Kaua`i, only a few individuals are thought to remain.