Hawaiian Birds – Hawaiian Coot Breeding
The Hawaiian Coot (‘Alae ke‘oke‘o) is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands, and breeds mostly on natural freshwater ponds, flooded taro fields, reservoirs, and brackish fishponds. Usually, when the ponds fill with water in the wetter winter months, ‘Alae ke‘oke‘o initiate their breeding cycle with the establishment of territories.
‘Alae ke‘oke‘o are territorial during nesting and will defend their area vigorously from other coots. This aggressive behavior is evident when they raise their tail feathers and lower their head to ward off intruders. In heated battles, the adults will use their wings to balance them upright as they use their feet to fight off other Hawaiian Coots (Fulica alai).
Nests are typically floating nests constructed with a massive pile of aquatic vegetation including bulrush, Hilo grass, pickleweed, taro stems, and branches and twigs of trees growing near the pond. This allows nests to rise and fall with the water level. Rarely, nests are built on pond banks or fishpond walls, but this is less protected from various predators. After building their nests, they lay between two and ten eggs (averaging about five), light tan in color, speckled with light, dark brown, and purple.
Adults share responsibilities of incubation (about 25 days) and caring for the young. Chicks have black down, except on the head, neck and throat, where the down is reddish-orange. They are able to run and swim soon after hatching but maintain contact with parents by frequent calling, and hide in nearby vegetation if danger approaches.
Hawaiian Birds – Hawaiian Coot
The Hawaiian Coot (‘Alae Ke‘oke‘o) is a water bird endemic to Hawaii. There are currently an estimated 2,000 to 4,000 coots living in the main Hawaiian Islands of Maui, Oahu, the Big Island, Molokai, and Kauai, and it is federally listed as an endangered species.
The male and female Hawaiian Coot (Fulica alai) look alike, and are about 15 inches long, mostly dark gray or black on top, with white undertail feathers. The bill is ivory white (ke‘oke‘o meaning white), as is the bulbous frontal shield (or frontal knob). A very small percentage have frontal shields that are bluish white, yellow, or red. Their legs are light gray, and feet are lobed rather than webbed.
‘Alae Ke‘oke‘o are found in fresh and brackish-water marshes, ponds, taro fields, and wetlands. Most likely, they were more widely distributed in early Hawaii when cultivation of taro was much more extensive, and coastal fishponds were more numerous. Historical records do not indicate there ever were a large number of coots, yet the bird was significant in Hawaiian mythology and folklore and some early accounts report large populations on Kaua‘i.
Hawaiian coots are generalists and feed from grazing on land, or dabbling from the surface of the water, or diving for food. Food items include seeds, leaves, aquatic plants, snails, crustaceans, insects, tadpoles, and small fish. Photo by Jack Jeffrey
Hawaiian Honeycreeper Conservation 2
Probably sometime in the 1800’s, a mosquito-transmitted avian disease (avian pox virus) was introduced to the islands, and then in the early part of the 20th century avian malaria reached Hawaii. It is likely that avian malaria spread quickly into these native Hawaiian Honeycreepers (with no prior exposure or natural immunity to this disease) and hastened the decline or extinction of several species. Only in higher elevations where colder temperatures limit the spread of mosquitoes, do native forest bird communities remain relatively intact.
Scientists are attempting to unravel the complexities and impacts of the pox virus and avian malaria in native forest birds with the hope of developing long-term strategies for preventing further extinctions. Meanwhile, the ‘Amakihi, a native honeycreeper, is mysteriously re-populating the lowlands of Hawaii, providing hope for the future of other native birds in Hawaii.
In these two videos you will follow scientists as they learn how the endemic ‘Amakihi is bucking the extinction trend through evolution.
Part One – Hawaiian Honeycreeper Conservation 1
Hawaiian Honeycreeper Conservation 1
The evolution of Hawaiian honeycreepers is an outstanding example of how the Hawaiian islands became home to many species of unique life. About three million years ago, it is suspected a storm from North America led a small flock of finches to Hawaii. These new colonists touched down in a land with many different environments, many different types of food, and few competitors. They spread out over the islands and began evolving in different ways. Some developed long, curved bills to extract nectar from flowers, and others evolved short, stout bills for crushing hard seeds.
When Polynesians voyagers arrived millions of years later they found over fifty unique species and subspecies of honeycreepers – all descended from that one original group. Then in 1826, the first mosquitoes arrived in Hawaii aboard a whaling ship beginning the spread of avian malaria to native birds…
In these two videos you will follow scientists as they learn how the endemic ‘Amakihi is bucking the extinction trend through evolution.
Part Two – Hawaiian Honeycreeper Conservation 2
Hawaiian Birds – Amakihi
The ‘Amakihi is a small, endemic olive green Hawaiian honeycreeper with a short, decurved bill, and is found in native forests on the islands of Hawai‘i, Maui, Kaua‘i, and O‘ahu. The Hawai‘i, Kaua‘i, and O‘ahu ‘amakihi were all considered subspecies under the superspecies Common ‘Amakihi (Hemignathus virens), but recent genetic studies have led to the recognition of the Kaua‘i and O‘ahu ‘amakihi as distinct species. Although considerably diminished in numbers and range, they are still one of the most common birds in native forests.
The ‘Amakihi is found mostly in forests dominated by ohi’a and koa on all islands, and thrive in higher elevations up to the uppermost forest regions of 9,000 feet. The Kauai ‘Amakihi (Hemignatus kauaiensis) is found in the Alakai Wilderness Preserve, Koke’e State Park, and the Makaleha Mountains. The male is generally brighter in color than the female with olive green above, yellowish or creamy gray below, and dark lores. They are nonmigratory and omnivorous, feeding on insects and other arthropods, berries, fruit, nectar, and sap from trees with fully tubular tongues adapted for taking nectar. They are extremely agile and acrobatic while flying and hopping between perches, and can stop suddenly in full flight without slacking speed.
Hawaiian Birds – Akekee Conservation
The ‘Akeke’e population was once relatively stable, even while other endemic Kaua’i birds were sharply declining, and its population was estimated to be nearly 8,000 birds in 2000. However, the population dropped to approximately 3,500 birds by 2007, which caused it to be protected under the Endangered Species Act in 2010.
Like other endemic Kaua‘i birds, long-term survival of ‘Akeke‘e depends on preservation of large tracts of native forest – particularly ‘ohi‘a. As with other native forest birds, vigilance is essential to prevent additional introductions of noxious plants, potential predators, and alien birds. The ʻAkekeʻe is threatened by the introduction of plants like the banana pōka that displace native plants. Feral pigs, goats, and deer also destroy native growth. Eventually, the insects on which the ʻAkekeʻe feeds will disappear from such areas, as they on longer find their usual host plants.
Natural hurricanes, as well as human development in the Koke‘e region reduces the amount of habitat available and increases breeding sites for mosquitoes. The spread of disease-carrying mosquitoes into native forests probably poses the greatest long-term threat to their survival. This is the reason why these birds are rarely found at lower altitudes, but only in higher, cooler regions where mosquitos do not occur. Efforts to prevent further habitat degradation will probably be most effective in maintaining this species.
