UH Hilo Center for Maunakea Stewardship - Research Library

Palila Restoration: Lessons from Long-term Research

Author:
U.S. Geological Survey,
Title:
Palila Restoration: Lessons from Long-term Research
Year:
2006
Pages:
4 p.
Subject:
Birds conservation Birds Mauna Kea Loxioides bailleui Palila
Summary:
The palila (Loxioides bailleui) is a member of the Hawaiian honeycreeper family of birds (Drepanidinae), which is renowned for the profusion of species -- many with bizarre bills and specialized feeding habits -- that radiated from a single ancestral type. Most of the 57 or so honeycreeper species are extinct, and the palila is endangered because of its high degree of dependence on the mamane tree (Sophora chrysophylla) and its restricted distribution on the upper slopes of Mauna Kea. Three decades of research have revealed many important facts about palila, providing the foundation and impetus for conservation programs in the wild and captivity. Additionally, an ambitious public conservation campaign arose due to the land-use conflicts on Mauna Kea. This report summarizes progress in palila conservation biology and outlines steps that might overcome the remaining major challenges to its recovery. Also highlighted, are lessons learned from palila research that may help the recovery of other Hawaiian forest birds.
URL:
https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/fs20063104
Date:
July 2006
Collection:
Monographs