DLNR is giving native birds a fighting chance

PAHOA, Hawaii (KHON2) — Deep in the Pu‘u Maka‘ala Natural Area Reserve on Hawai’i Island live some of Hawai’i’s most endangered indigenous birds. Several species of the Hawaiian honeycreeper are staring down the barrel of extinction.

The Department of Land and Natural Resources is working hard to give these birds a chance of survival even as the odds mount against them.

According to the DLNR, Hawai’i is known as the extinction capital of the world due to myriad threats from predation, habitat loss and disease that is overrunning native species.

But, with the help of avian biologist Bret Nainoa Mossman, DLNR is continuing its decades-long reforestation of Puʻu Makaʻala to provide a stable habitat for local species.

The 19,000-acre Pu‘u Maka‘ala Natural Area Reserve is filled with koa, ʻōhiʻa lehua, hapuʻu, olapa and other naturally and culturally significant native species that are battling extinction. In the initiative, there have been more than 38,000 trees planted that provide a direct benefit to 11 species of native birds.

One of the most dangerous issues the Hawaiian honeycreepers is facing is avian malaria. Mossman and his team has been working to prevent the spread of this disease as mosquitos continue to invade their habitat.

Mossman spends his days capturing birds so they can be tested for malaria and to undergo health screenings.

“We’ve definitely seen a significant decrease and especially in this area where we’re set-up today, where we’ve been doing predator control for about a year. We’ve seen a 90 percent reduction in rats, and we’ve detected zero mongoose since trapping began. We’re still dealing with feral cats because they’re just the trickiest predators to catch and manage,” Mossman explained.

In their work, Mossman has set out 730 predator traps across 1,000 acres; it is the largest trapping-grid in Hawai’i. Mossman said that the combined actions of replenishing the native forest and eliminating predation is going a long way to give them hope that the Hawaiian honeycreepers can be saved.

There are only 1,900 ‘akiapōlā‘au in existence, and these tiny birds have benefited the most from reforestation efforts. Likewise, the ʻŌmaʻo is rebounding and providing some exciting work for the team.

“They have shown some resistance to malaria. Unfortunately, the disease coupled with predation, is still driving them into decline with an estimated 100,000 remaining on the Big Island. They’re important as one of the few species left that primarily eat fruit, thus spreading seeds around the forest, helping with new growth,” Mossman said.

Before European colonization of the islands, there were an estimated 13 million ‘i‘iwi in the islands. These birds’ feathers were used to make Hawaiian cloaks, and their numbers continue to decline.

“As soon as we remove the malaria barrier, you may possibly even see ‘i‘iwi in Hilo,” Mossman remarked. “It’s motivating to know that if planned mosquito control is successful, some of the species are likely to rebound quickly.”