After Years at Sea, First Hawaiian Petrel Pair Nests at Nihokū
Confirmed breeding at Kīlauea Point National Wildlife Refuge marks one of several key milestones in effort to conserve endangered seabirds
By: American Bird Conservancy
A historic effort to save the endangered ʻuaʻu, or Hawaiian petrel (Pterodroma sandwichensis), has reached a critical milestone after years of work and anxious waiting by project partners. A pair of these rare birds has returned after several years at sea and is confirmed to be breeding. These birds are the first of 110 translocated ʻuaʻu chicks to return and nest at the fence-protected area of Nihokū at Kīlauea Point National Wildlife Refuge.
The return of these ʻuaʻu to breed is top news, culminating years of careful planning and hard work, and other promising milestones are unfolding at Nihokū, as other seabirds appear at the site (see below). But first, some ʻuaʻu backstory:
In 2020, trail camera footage and biologists confirmed that five ʻuaʻu were returning to the site while prospecting the area for nesting; leg band numbers confirmed that these were indeed birds translocated as chicks from Hono O Nā Pali Natural Area Reserve years earlier. This was taken as an early sign that the young birds that fledged from Nihokū successfully imprinted on the site and would likely soon return to breed, just as the project partners had anticipated. (After ʻuaʻu chicks leave the nest burrow, they spend several years foraging on the high seas as they mature to breeding age, then return to breed at the site where they fledged.)
“Social attraction” — where a species’ calls are played over a sound system — is utilized to help lure new prospecting birds, as well as those previously fledged from the site. Nest boxes installed within the protective fencing provide further incentive for the birds to stay and breed. The ultimate goal is to establish a thriving new colony safe from invasive predators such as feral cats, rats, and pigs.
“We are beyond thrilled to have confirmed breeding of the first Hawaiian petrel pair in a predator-free location, after six years of translocations. This marks a major milestone towards the recovery of this imperiled species, and we hope that it is the first of many such announcements,” said Dr. Lindsay Young, executive director of Pacific Rim Conservation.
In addition to the returning ʻuaʻu pair now breeding at Nihokū, the first prospecting ʻaʻo or Newell’s shearwater (Puffinus newelli) was recently observed on trail cameras at the site, confirming that both species have successfully imprinted on the translocation site. Additional exciting observations within the fence include an ‘ou or Bulwer’s petrel on an egg, and several Kermadec petrels on the ground engaged in what appeared to be courtship behavior. If these birds were to nest, they would provide the first Northern Hemisphere breeding records for the species.
The Nihoku Ecosystem Restoration Project is a multi-partner effort involving Pacific Rim Conservation (PRC); the Kaua‘i Endangered Seabird Recovery Project (KESRP); Hono O Nā Pali Natural Area Reserve (HONP NAR); Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW); University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit; the Kīlauea Point National Wildlife Refuge (a unit of the Kaua‘i National Wildlife Refuge Complex); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; and American Bird Conservancy (ABC).
The project is part of a larger, island-wide effort to restore populations of ʻuaʻu and ʻaʻo, both threatened and culturally important species. As was done in this project, translocating birds to protected habitats, from locations where they are vulnerable to threats such as invasive predators, is one important approach that is being implemented to help recover declining populations of Hawaiian seabirds. Other tactics include reducing powerline collisions, controlling invasive predator populations, habitat management, and fostering awareness within the island community on the issue of light attraction’s fatal effects on seabirds, combined with efforts to reduce and shield lights to protect birds. (Both petrels and shearwaters can become disoriented by light, especially during their fledging flights, and thus are highly vulnerable to collisions.)
Dr. André Raine, former project leader for the KESRP team, says that there have been major population declines in the two species in recent decades on Kauaʻi, with the ʻuaʻu declining by 78 percent and ʻaʻo by 94 percent between 1993 and 2013.
During the active translocation phase of the project, the KESRP team found and monitored ʻuʻau and ʻaʻo burrows in the mountains, then transported vulnerable chicks via helicopter to Nihokū just before the critical stage when they become imprinted on the new site. The translocated chicks were then cared for by Pacific Rim Conservation’s animal care team, which provides feeding and monitoring of the chicks until they fledge from the site and head out to sea.
Since 2015, the team has successfully fledged 106 ʻuaʻu and 87 ‘aʻo from Nihokū. The ultimate proof that the project is successful will be a thriving breeding population consisting of natural recruitment of birds fledged from other sites and chicks raised completely at the site — a milestone that the project partners are eagerly awaiting.
“Kaua‘i is a Noah’s Ark for endangered seabirds, with most of the world’s population of Newell’s shearwater and one of the largest breeding populations of Hawaiian petrel,” said Dr. Raine. “Project initiatives such as Nihokū are one of many critical conservation actions taken on this island to protect these special native seabirds. Seeing these first birds returning to this site to start breeding is the fulfillment of a huge amount of effort from all the project partners, and has us all looking eagerly to see what exciting developments will happen next.”
“We have been delighted by the opportunity to work with our partners over the last several years to implement this important conservation effort to aid in the recovery of Newellʻs shearwaters and Hawaiian petrels,” said Heather Abbey Tonneson, refuge manager for the Kaua‘i National Wildlife Refuge Complex. “Reaching this critical milestone of having translocated birds return to the site to breed is one of the measures that proves this project has been a success. We are happy to be a part of helping to care for this special place, which provides the safe habitat these species need to establish a new and successful breeding colony for many years to come.”
“It is incredibly rewarding to see the hard work by all of the partners pay off, and even more exciting that we are making demonstrable progress towards protecting these species,” said Brad Keitt, ABC’s Oceans and Islands director. “It is also fascinating to see the unexpected happening, with Bulwer’s and Kermadec petrels showing up within the fenced area. We appear to be on our way to a thriving and diverse seabird colony.”
“The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation is excited to be a part of this success and we look forward to watching the Nihokū restoration site within Kīlauea Point National Wildlife Refuge fulfill its goal of providing a predator-free refuge for additional nesting Hawaiian petrel, Newell’s shearwater, and other breeding seabirds on Kaua‘i,” said Jeff Trandahl, executive director and CEO of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, whose seabirds program was a key funder of the effort. “Confirmation of the first breeding translocated Hawaiian petrel pair at the reserve is a significant and important milestone for this project. This very first breeding pair is a true testament to the combined efforts across the full partnership.”
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service works with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. For more information, connect with us through any of these social media channels at https://www.facebook.com/PacificIslandsFWS, www.flickr.com/photos/usfwspacific/, or www.twitter.com/USFWSPacific.
