Effort to establish second Palila population on Mauna Kea shows signs of success

Author:

U.S. Geological Survey,

Title:

Effort to establish second Palila population on Mauna Kea shows signs of success

Year:

2006

Subject:

Palila Loxioides bailleui Translocation Bird populations Birds Mauna Kea

Summary:

In an effort to recover the Palila on Mauna Kea, a small colony of endangered birds from a wild population that live on the western slope of Mauna Kea were translocated to the north slope of Mauna Kea through an experiment done by biologists from the U.S. Geological Survey and their partners. It was found that while some of the birds from the north slope colony occasionally commute between the two populations, the translocated birds are breeding, hatching eggs, fledging young, and raising juveniles to maturity which raises the possibility of interbreeding between the two groups. It is the hope that while the majority of translocated birds have returned to the population on the western slope, that a nucleus of core groups that remained at the release site on the north slope will expand as habitat conditions improve. It is also hoped that by expanding the restoration of the mamane forest at various sites throughout the island that new populations of the Palila will be established at various other locations on the island.

Date:

January 10, 2006

Collection:

Monographs