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The
Hawaii Endangered Bird Conservation Program
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Please review and comment on DRAFT Hawaiian Endangered Bird Conservation Program Five-Year Workplan (2001 – 2005).
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The Hawaiian Islands are home to species of birds that are found nowhere else on the planet, exhibiting a staggering array of adaptations to life in their unique habitats. Prior to human disturbance, Hawaiian birdlife was abundant from the montane cloud forests to the rain forests by the sea in what are thought to have been the highest densities of any birds on earth. These natural treasures are integral elements of the biological and cultural heritage of the Hawaiian Islands and their people. Unfortunately, many Hawaiian bird species are highly endangered or already extinct. Of the more than 140 native breeding species and subspecies present prior to the colonization of the islands by humans, more than half have been lost to extinction. Among the remaining 71 endemic forms, 30 are federally listed as endangered, and fifteen of these are literally on the brink of extinction, numbering fewer than 500 individuals. The causes of these declines are numerous and extensive, including loss and degradation of habitat, and introduced diseases, predators and competitors. The task of preventing further declines and recovering imperiled species will require wide-ranging efforts to address and mitigate the diversity of threats faced by species in natural populations. The Hawaiian Endangered Bird Conservation Program is a unique partnership composed of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), State of Hawai`i Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW), and the Zoological Society of San Diego (ZSSD), and in collaboration with many organizations statewide including the U.S. Geological Survey, Biological Resources Division (BRD), the University of Hawaii, and the `Alala, Maui and Kaua`i Partnerships. These agencies and organizations, and others, are working to recover endangered species statewide through basic research to understand the biology of particular species, mitigation and control of threats and limiting factors, and restoration and protection of managed habitat. Even with this work, however, many species remain at risk due to their small population sizes, limited ranges, and low dispersal rates. The mission of the Hawaiian Endangered Bird Conservation Partnership is to contribute to these multifacted efforts to aid the recovery of native Hawaiian ecosystems and endangered bird species and communities at the landscape-level. Our objectives are to develop and implement programs that integrate captive propagation and reintroduction technology with related work in progress by our organizations and others, including basic research and habitat management. The technology development, planning, and implementation effort required for recovery of Hawaiian forest birds is multifaceted and complex, whether it be basic research, habitat management, education and outreach, or captive propagation and release. The task at hand is further complicated by the fact that 30 bird species or subspecies, each with unique biological attributes and needs, are currently endangered and in need of conservation action. This document outlines the proposed workplan for the Hawaiian Endangered Bird Conservation Program for the next five years (2001-2005). The purpose of this document is to provide guidance to Partnership efforts, and to provide information concerning planned partnership efforts and directions to interested parties by making the document available to the public for discussion and comment. Detailed here are specific workplans, rather than broad recovery recommendations. We emphasize that this is a working document that will be subject to frequent discussion, review, and annual revision. For comprehensive and broad recovery recommendations, refer to the Hawaii Forest Bird Recovery Plan (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in prep.), which examines recovery actions, both currently or not yet underway, in greater detail, including habitat management, habitat restoration, predator and competitor research and control, avian disease research and management, and research on the habitat requirements and biology of Hawaiian forest birds. <top> The Partnership was formalized in 1994, soon after The Peregrine Fund joined conservation efforts in Hawaii, establishing a program to breed native and endangered Hawaiian birds in captivity. At that time it was realized that an effective partnership was needed that would integrate existing strategies and programs with captive propagation efforts to aid in the recovery of endangered species. After more than six years of successful collaboration, captive breeding operations were transferred from The Peregrine Fund to the Zoological Society of San Diego, which now operates the captive breeding facilities. The accomplishments of the Hawaiian Endangered Bird Conservation Program during the past seven years to preserve Hawai`i’s endangered birds are significant. Habitat restoration and population research and management programs for endangered Hawaiian forest birds have been established or enhanced on Hawai`i, Maui Nui, O`ahu, and Kaua`i. Over 250 endemic forest birds of 12 species have hatched in captivity (seven endangered species) and a new captive propagation facility, the Keauhou Bird Conservation Center (KBCC), was constructed. During 1999-2001, 34 captive-bred Puaiohi have been released in the Alaka`i Swamp. These releases have led to the successful reestablishment of this critically endangered species. This is the first release program for an endangered passerine that has successfully incorporated a wide spectrum of conservation techniques to include the collection of wild eggs, artificial incubation and hand rearing, captive breeding, release, and subsequent breeding of the released birds in native habitat. This complete reintroduction program for the Puaiohi, from the wild to captivity and back to the wild, where breeding by reintroduced birds has been confirmed (Kuehler et al., 2000; Monahan et al., 2001), has occurred over only three years time—a remarkably successful recovery action. Equally important, the environmental education program at the KBCC reaches over 1,500 Hawaiian school children annually. The key elements for the success of this partnership program are: 1) Species-specific information about natural populations · Natural history research, including habitat needs for foraging and nesting, to facilitate determination of suitability of existing habitat and aid efforts to restore marginal habitat. · Research to identify threats to populations, and management to eliminate those threats. 2) Habitat availability · Establishment of routine methods for the identification, restoration, and maintenance of sufficient suitable habitat to be used as release sites and to ensure long-term population viability of target species. Methods include the use of landscape-level remote sensing techniques, as well as ground truthing methods for the detailed documentation of vegetation structure and composition. 3) Captive propagation and release technology · The ability to successfully collect and artificially incubate eggs and hand-rear chicks, and maintain and breed the species in captivity (if necessary). · The ability to collect nestlings and/or juveniles of certain species for captive propagation if the circumstances require (and all the partners agree), and if quarantine is available. · The ability to successfully release birds that survive and reproduce in the wild. 4) Post-Release Monitoring · Short and long-term monitoring of released individuals and reestablished populations to provide an assessment of program success and future needs. Document dispersal and distribution, survival and reproductive success, and long-term population trends. 5) Environmental Education · Public awareness of conservation issues is essential to secure the long-term commitment and support needed to ensure the success of the program, and of endangered species conservation in general. 6) Support · Long term financial commitments to support the above elements, including personnel, equipment, and facilities. The success of the program depends on the integration of these elements. Population research and natural history information is needed in order to identify the threats to populations and to document the habitat needs of particular species. This information must be used to secure or restore habitat that is suitable for each species with respect to both the elimination of threats to population stability and with respect to the ability of the habitat to provide sufficient food and nesting resources. The captive propagation technology provides the means to produce and reintroduce individuals into the wild to augment dwindling populations that may otherwise be lost, or reestablish populations that have become extirpated. Careful monitoring of the wild and reestablished populations provides the feedback needed to assess the success of particular projects, to identify program needs, and guide future directions. We recognize that captive breeding is not the sole answer to an extinction problem; it must be part of an overall, integrated conservation strategy including research, habitat management, and public education. Successful avian restoration programs require landscape-level programs focused on ecosystem health and protection. Background information on the use of captive propagation and reintroduction technology for the recovery of endangered passerines may be found in Appendix 1. Additional details concerning Partnership activities and accomplishments are available in the appendices of this document, as well as Partner web sites: State of Hawaii, Division of Forestry and Wildlife · http://www.state.hi.us/dlnr/dofaw/ · http://www.state.hi.us/dlnr/dofaw/captiveprop/consprog.htm U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service · http://pacificislands.fws.gov/ The Zoological Society of San Diego (ZSSD): · http://www.sandiegozoo.org/index.html · http://www.sandiegozoo.org/conservation/fieldproject_hawaiian_birds.html The Peregrine Fund: · http://www.peregrinefund.org/ · http://www.peregrinefund.org/conserv_hawaii.html USGS Biological Resources Division, Pacific Islands Ecosystem Research Center: · http://biology.usgs.gov/pierc/index.htm <top> |
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Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project:: April - June 2001 Quarterly Report July - September 2001 Quarterly Report |
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