Hawaiian Honeycreepers
Protected Habitat and Feral Mammal Control
Endangered Hawaiian Honeycreepers
In
1950, surveys of the misty mountains of eastern Maui, in the Hawaiian
Islands, resulted in rediscovery of two bird species previously thought
to be extinct.
The Maui Parrotbill is an olive-green bird with a large parrot-like
bill used to dig into branches and stems, to lift bark or lichens in
search of hidden invertebrates, and to bite open fruit.
The
Akohekohe is a colorful, nectar-eating bird whose prominent, white
bushy crest, curved forward over the bill, provided its English name of
Crested Honeycreeper.
After these birds were rediscovered, the Hawaii chapter of The Nature
Conservancy successfully coordinated an effort to protect their
isolated forest refuge, which also is home to many endangered plants.
As part of the Hawaiian Forest Bird Recovery Project, captive
propagation and release programs are under way for both species.
Conservation in Action in Hawaii
Nature
Conservancy staff erect a fence at Kamakou Preserve on the island of
Molokai, Hawaii, to keep feral pigs out of the upper-elevation forest.
In addition, snaring, although controversial, is used to remove feral
pigs, which severely damage native vegetation.
Despite the difficulty and high cost of these efforts, similar projects
have been carried out successfully at The Nature Conservancy's Waikoloa
Preserve on Maui, whose mountain rain forests are the last stronghold
of the Maui Parrotbill, the Akohekohe, and other declining Hawaiian
birds.