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November 30, 2004

Hawaiian Bird Goes Extinct

A native Hawaiian bird died in captivity on November 28, probably signaling the extinction of the species.

AMERICAN BIRD CONSERVANCY

Hawaiian Bird Goes Extinct: Government Must Act Now to Prevent Dozens More Losses

A native Hawaiian bird died in captivity on November 28, probably signaling the extinction of the species. Saving the Po'ouli, a small honeycreeper found only on the island of Maui, had been the mission of a few dedicated biologists at the Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project over the past year. Sadly, their stalwart efforts seem to have come to a sad juncture, and a lack of funding and commitment from the federal and state governments could result in the extinction of many more Hawaiian birds.

By the time the decision was made to begin captive-breeding efforts, only three birds were thought to survive on Maui. Bad weather caused delays to capture efforts, but cancellation of an expedition during one of the few available weather windows due to temporary cessation of funding seemed symbolic of the situation at such a critical time. Ultimately only one bird could be located, and though successfully caught, it has now died in a Maui breeding facility. A slim but waning hope remains that the other two known birds may yet survive; however, neither has been seen in months.

The questions being asked in the conservation community are how could the situation have been allowed to get so desperate before captive-breeding attempts were made? Why has funding been so hard to obtain recently for a species so perilously close to extinction? And how do we ensure that the Po’ouli’s plight is not repeated by other endangered species, particularly those in Hawaii?

The Po’ouli’s tragic story follows a series of bird extinctions that has swept Hawaii since humans arrived on the islands. Most of the surviving native land birds are heading towards extinction. As with the Po’ouli, a combination of introduced predators, disease, and habitat clearance have caused their declines. At the same time that these species are slipping away, seemingly unnoticed, well-funded programs to protect the Bald Eagle, California Condor, and Whooping Crane - species that faced a similar, if not greater barrage of threats - are succeeding, showing that species conservation programs can and do work if properly resourced.

"Hawaii's bird extinction crisis is a global tragedy that is largely being ignored. That the World's wealthiest nation is allowing bird extinctions to continue, largely unchecked, in its own back yard is unconscionable," said Dr. George H. Fenwick, President of American Bird Conservancy. "Fully one third of the birds on the U.S. Endangered Species List occur only in Hawaii, several of which may already be extinct. Funding for the conservation of those that remain needs to be increased by orders of magnitude if we are to avert a biological disaster in our lifetimes."

Thirty-two bird species that breed primarily on islands in the Hawaiian chain are listed on the global "Red List" of threatened species, several of which have not been seen in decades and may already be extinct. Others survive but in desperately low numbers. Another, the Hawaiian Crow survives only in captivity. In fact, only a handful of Hawaiian birds appear not to be in decline. The surviving species could likely still be saved from extinction if the required effort is made.

At a time when the Endangered Species Act is coming under criticism, the probable extinction of the Po’ouli should serve as a wake up call to the government and the American people. American Bird Conservancy is calling for a commitment from the Bush Administration, Congress, and the environmental community to dramatically increase their efforts to prevent bird species extinctions, particularly in Hawaii.
Background Information:

The Po’ouli was first discovered in 1973 and placed on the Endangered Species List the following year. In the mid 1980s, the total population was thought to number around 100 birds, though no more than a handful have ever been seen. At one point, three birds were shot by researchers to learn more about the species’ diet by examining their stomach contents. In 2002, one of the three known remaining birds was caught and released within the territory of another, in an attempt to get the two to breed. However, the translocated bird did not remain in the area. Captive breeding efforts began in 2003, when members of the Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project attempted to locate and capture all remaining birds. Only one has been located in the year since, and this was the bird that was captured on September 9, 2004. Decline and likely extinction of the Po’ouli has been attributed to loss of forest habitat, introduced species such as feral pigs, and, quite probably, disease such as avian malaria.

The Hawaiian Islands are unique in terms of their biological diversity. Many species of plants and animals there occur nowhere else on Earth, having evolved in isolation, thousands of miles from the next nearest land. Hawaii's birds exhibit one of the world's best examples of adaptive radiation, in which many forms are derived from a common ancestor. Variation observed by Darwin in finches on the Galapagos Islands gave rise to his theory of evolution. Had Darwin studied Hawaiian birds, he would have discovered an even more marked diversity among Hawaii's honeycreepers than exists among those Galapagos finches.

The decline of Hawaii's birds is symptomatic of the gradual destruction of Hawaii's ecosystems. This destruction began with the arrival of Polynesian settlers who cleared much of the lowland forest in the archipelago. This was compounded by a suite of introduced species ranging from predatory mongooses, to diseases such as avian pox and malaria. In combination these factors have caused the extinction of more than 20 Hawaiian bird species since 1500. Despite this, a few Hawaiian landbirds still have stable populations. Among them are the Apapane and Hawaii Amakihi. Captive breeding programs involving the Zoological Society of San Diego, The Peregrine Fund, The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Hawaii Department of Forestry and Wildlife have been successful in the case of other rare Hawaiian species, including the Maui Parrotbill, Small Kauai Thrush, Pallila, and Hawaii Creeper. The Nature Conservancy has also played a key role in Hawaiian bird conservation through habitat acquisition and management.

Photographs of the Po’ouli can be seen at:

Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project - www.mauiforestbird.org
Hawaii Dept. of Forestry and Wildlife – www.dofaw.net

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American Bird Conservancy (ABC) is a U.S.-based 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization dedicated to conserving wild birds and their habitats throughout the Americas. ABC is headquartered in Virginia, with offices in ten states and the District of Columbia. ABC has more than 300 partner organizations throughout the Americas, primarily through its leadership roles in the North American Bird Conservation Initiative, Partners in Flight, the Bird Conservation Alliance, the National Pesticide Reform Coalition, and the Alliance for Zero Extinction. ABC was recently rated one of the best-managed small charities in the U.S. by the independent group "Charity Navigator," and given their highest rating for fiscal management. For more information, see: www.abcbirds.org..

Posted by Surfbirds at November 30, 2004 07:01 PM

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