Wildlife on the Kauai Coffee Farm
Stretching across 3,100 acres of diverse terrain and microclimates on Kauai’s southwest shore, the Kauai Coffee farm is home to not only four million coffee trees but also an array of colorful wildlife. When you take a Farm Tour or stop by the Visitor Center to shop and sample coffee, be on the lookout for the following feral friends.
Magnificent Jungle Fowl
Kauai is home to thousands of wild chickens. If you have had the opportunity to visit, there is no doubt you noticed the significant number of roosters, hens, and chicks occupying the beaches, trails, and parks you came to enjoy. You’ve probably heard them outside your window at all hours of the day and night too — it’s no wonder we named our Ohana Collection dark roast Rooster Alarm!
So, how did these fine feathered friends end up on Kauai? Locals say that the number of feral chickens increased after hurricanes Iwa and Iniki hit the island in the late 1980s and early 1990s and freed them from their domestic coops. That may be true to an extent, but fossilized chicken bones dating back to the era of early Polynesian exploration of the Hawaiian Islands have been found on Kauai, so the chicken/red jungle fowl have been a part of the island for a long time.
While the wild chickens can cause some damage to crops with their rooting and digging, for the most part, their presence isn’t a problem and you’re sure to see at least a few during your visit to Kauai Coffee.
Rare and Endangered Seabirds
Wild chickens may be the most famous fowl on the Kauai Coffee farm, but they aren’t the only feathered friends you may encounter. Kauai is also home to several species of sea, wetland, and other types of threatened and endangered birds. When visiting Kauai’s South Shore be on the lookout for rare birds like the Newell’s Shearwater, Hawaiian Goose or Nene, and the Hawaiian Short-Eared Owl or Pueo.
As part of our commitment to sustainability and environmentally-friendly farming practices, Kauai Coffee follows state and local bird rescue program guidelines for keeping our endangered Shearwater seabirds safe. Fledgling Shearwaters depend on the moon to guide them from their burrows on land out to sea and bright lights on shore can be disorienting. From mid-September through mid-December we turn down non-necessary lighting and limit harvest lighting to keep them safe.
Furry, Four-Legged and Finned
It’s not just the sky where you’ll see exciting wildlife on Kauai. Wild boars and goats, domestic cattle and sheep, and even a few species of deer have been introduced to the island over the years. It’s rare to see most of these four-legged friends on the Kauai Coffee farm, but if you keep your eyes peeled you may spot a wild pig roaming the rows of coffee.
The water surrounding the island of Kauai hosts an incredible diversity of sea life too. From endangered turtles and monk seals to dolphins, whales, rays, and scores of colorful fish there is a world of wildlife to see beneath the waves. You won’t see all of these creatures from Kauai Coffee, but on a clear day from November to April, you may see the powerful spouts and playful splashes of breaching whales from the lookout point on the Kauai Coffee Farm Tour.
Kauai Coffee is committed to environmentally-friendly farming and has several activities for visitors to enjoy from farm tours to coffee tasting. Book a tour or shop 100% Kauai Coffee online today.
