Birds of a feather

Author:

Taylor, Frank C.

Title:

Birds of a feather

Periodical:

Pacific Connections

Year:

1991

Volume:

1

Pages:

22-25

Subject:

Birds populations Birds monitoring Akiapolaau Birds habitat

Summary:

This paper is about a 17-day bird-watching expedition that was taken to the flanks of Mauna Loa Volcano and into a rain forest reserve made up of tree ferns, ohia, and koa trees at an altitude of 6,500 feet on the Big Island of Hawaii. The members of this expedition were in pursuit of knowledge and the elusive Akiapolaau, an orange-red Hawaii Akepa and the olive-green Hawaii Creeper. As birds were spotted, such as the common Apapane, information such as its species, sex, and maturity, in addition to the location of the bird, how high up in a tree the bird was, and what it was doing at every moment that it was in sight (such as preening, searching, calling, eating, etc.), was recorded. It was hoped that the information collected would help the Fish and Wildlife Service decide if it could safely capture some of the endangered birds in nets and release them in a reforested area called the Mauna Loa Strip in an effort to protect them. However, since the area that the birds inhabited was ten miles away from the strip and separated by barren lava flow and pasture land, it was felt that the birds would not fly there on their own, since they are sedentary in nature, but due to the then-active Kilauea volcano, it was felt that a new lava flow would easily wipe out this species if the birds were not relocated.

Label:

Birds - Akiapolaau

Collection:

Periodicals