On the trail of the uau : from the mountains to the sea, the endangered Hawaiian Petrel looms large in island lore

Author:

Bowman, David

Title:

On the trail of the uau : from the mountains to the sea, the endangered Hawaiian Petrel looms large in island lore

Periodical:

Hawaii Island Journal

Year:

2003

Pages:

n/a

Subject:

Hawaiian Dark-rumped Petrel Uau Pterodroma phaeopygia sandwichensis Mauna Loa

Summary:

Volunteers from the Hawaiian Petrel Project gauged the reproductive success of the Uau or Hawaiian Petrel (Pterodroma sandwichensis), also known as the Dark-rumped Petrel, whose habitat once extended to sea level on most of the main Hawaiian Islands. Reclassified as its own distinct species, this bird was once considered a subspecies of Pterodroma phaeopygia with its cousin, the Galapagos Petrel. Its fat and fuzzy nestlings were considered a delicacy among Hawaiian chieftains, and this, along with habitat loss and predation by introduced mammals, helped hasten the bird's decline. Solitary at sea, with gray and white markings, tube shaped nostrils and a 3-foot wingpan, it roams vast expanses of ocean during the day and returns to its resting place in the mountain at night. Once abundant throughout the main islands, the Uau is now confined mostly to Maui's Haleakala National Park, (where the majority of breeding pairs are found), Kauai, and the high-elevation slopes of Mauna Loa. One of the three monitored nesting areas on Mauna Loa was the destination of the volunteers who were in search of this endangered seabird whose numbers have declined significantly in both Hawaii's prehistoric (pre-1778) and historic periods. What makes this hike interesting is knowing how important this particular bird is to the Hawaiian culture. It must have been so common around the islands that it's been said that the Uau once "darkened the skies" above all the main islands except Niihau. Since 1993, when the monitoring of these colonies began, 146 Hawaiian Petrel carcasses were found and at least 107 of those were killed by feral cats. This was determined by the pattern that the cats use when killing the petrel, the resulting "bridal carcass" that is left behind, and the DNA evidence such as cat saliva that is found on the dead petrel. As a result, part of this work involves trying to determine whether predator control at the elevation above 8,000 feet is having any effect.

Label:

Birds - Dark-Rumped Petrel

Date:

December 16-31, 2003

Collection:

Periodicals