Hawaiian Birds and Bryan’s Shearwater
After decades of research, scientists have confirmed thru DNA a unique specimen among the other known species of Shearwaters. Most of the more than 9,000 known bird species, including twenty-one Read more
Hawaiian Birds and Shearwater Conservation
The Newell’s Shearwater was listed as a threatened species in 1975. Because Shearwaters nest on the ground, they are often attacked by dogs, mongoose, rats, and cats. For this reason, shearwaters in Hawaii mostly nest on the small offshore islands, except on Kauai, where they are still found on the main island. Kilauea Point, is the home of a large colony of Shearwaters where they are protected from their enemies by fences and trapping.
Other threats are historic hunting, habitat degradation, artificial lighting, overfishing, disease, and catastrophes. Archaeological evidence shows that ancient Hawaiians utilized shearwaters and petrels as a food source. Abundant remains of shearwaters have been found in ancient Hawaiian settlements. Shearwaters are likely to be impacted by the degradation of suitable nesting habitat. Already 75 percent of Kaua’i's natural forest has been lost in the last 150 years. Out at sea, overfishing of tuna species, which aid the shearwater by driving prey to the surface, may eventually affect them. Given that the majority of Newell’s shearwaters breed on a single island, this makes them highly vulnerable to the impacts of catastrophic events, such as hurricanes.
Every autumn many of the little fledgling Newell’s shearwater birds leaving their colonies and head for the sea where they will feed on their own for the first time. During this maiden voyage, the birds often become disoriented by bright lights, crash into structures, and fall to the ground exhausted. This leaves the birds vulnerable to cars, cats, dogs, starvation, and dehydration. Since the early 1980s, efforts have been made to reduce the amount of glaring lights that attract and disorientate shearwaters. In 2006, a law was passed which requires all non-essential lights to be turned off or shielded between September and December on Kaua’i. The Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative has completed work on all of its 3,049 light poles on Kaua‘i, installing a housing that blocks the light from escaping upward.
A driving force behind conservation actions for these endangered birds is the Save our Shearwaters campaign to rescue and rehabilitate fallen fledglings. Save our Shearwaters, which began in 1978, recovers and releases around 2,000 disorientated shearwaters each year. An estimated 90% of all Newell’s Shearwater strandings are returned to safety each year, with more than 25,000 birds rescued to date. Hundreds of fledgling Wedge-tailed Shearwaters are also rescued. Photo by Jim Denny
Hawaiian Birds and Christmas Shearwater Breeding
The Christmas Shearwater typically breeds on remote sandy islands in rock crevices, under rock outcroppings, under dense vegetation, or in abandoned burrows. Their nests require shade to avoid lethal high temperatures to eggs or chicks. Their breeding colonies are widely spaced, small, and in the remote Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, where they are active at dawn and at night. It is this characteristic, as well as pelagic feeding and nocturnal habits, that makes the Christmas Shearwater one of the less studied seabirds in the Pacific Ocean.
Like most seabirds, Christmas Shearwaters (Puffinus nativitatis) breed in their natal colonies, lay only one white egg per season, and both parents participate in all aspects of raising young. In this species, divorce appears to occur at a higher frequency than in other seabirds. In Hawai‘i, eggs are laid in the Spring, and incubated for around 50 days. The time taken to fledge ranges from 60 to 100 days and nestlings fledge in October. As with other Shearwaters, no post-fledging care is provided by the parents. Based on a small sample, age of first breeding is four years, and the oldest known individual was seventeen years old.
Hawaiian Birds and Christmas Shearwater
The Christmas Shearwater nests on the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, and other remote islands in the Central Pacific. In Hawai‘i, breeding colonies are estimated at less than 3,000 pairs, with largest populations occurring on Laysan, Lisianski, Nihoa, and Midway Atoll. It is medium sized, with dark brown plumage all over, and slightly paler on the underside, with some small edging of white under the chin, a short wedge-shaped tail, and a shiny black bill. Both sexes are alike, and it flies with a combination of fast wing beats, followed by long glides.
The Christmas Shearwater (Puffinus nativitatis) is a surface feeder, eating squid, goatfishes, and flying fishes it catches by seizing them at or near the surface, and pursuit plunging, although they do not dive far below the water surface. It feeds predominantly on fish driven to the surface by schools of predatory fish such as tuna.
Breeding colonies are widely spaced, small, and remote. Individuals are active at dawn and at night on the breeding grounds. It is this characteristic, as well as pelagic feeding and nocturnal habits, that makes the Christmas Shearwater one of the less studied seabirds in the Pacific Ocean. Photo by Duncan Wright
Hawaiian Birds and Wedge-tailed Shearwater Breeding
The Wedge-tailed Shearwater breeds in colonies on islands off Japan, Western Australia, the Seychelles, and the Hawaiian Islands. The shearwaters begin courting and preparing their nests in April and May. They nest on the ground, usually in burrows or small caves two or three feet long, or in cracks between rocks, or any place that gives them protection. Both sexes participate in digging a burrow, or repairing the burrow from last year. Once their territory is established, parents frequently call as a pair, both to reinforce their bond and warn intruders away from their area. The call is long, with an inhaling component (OOO) and exhaling component (err); their Hawaiian name Ua’u kani means moaning sea bird.
Wedge-tailed Shearwaters (Puffinus pacificus) are monogamous, forming a long term bond that lasts for several years, and ends only after breeding seasons that result in failure. They are more active at night during the nesting season with both undertaking a prelaying exodus for about 28 days in order to build up energy reserves. The shearwater lays a single egg in June, with the male usually taking the first incubation stint. Each sits over the egg for about 10 days at a time, while the other parent is feeding at sea. The chick hatches after about 50 days and it is initially fed stomach oil, an energy rich waxy oil of digested prey created in the parent’s gut. Later it is fed both solids and stomach oil. When chicks are around three and one-half months old, the parents stop feeding them. The chicks don’t eat for about two weeks, as they test their wings and learn to fly. When they have all their adult feathers and can fly, they fledge, and the young birds learn to feed themselves. Photo by Forest and Kim Starr
Save Kauai Shearwaters
You can help save Kauai’s Shearwaters – Newell’s Shearwater and Wedge-tailed Shearwater. Kaua’i is home to many species of seabirds that nest and raise their young in our mountain forests and coastal beaches. Kaua’i is unique in Hawaii because of the absence of mongoose which has allowed many species of seabirds to survive here. When they leave their nests, seabird fledglings are guided by the light of the moon out to sea. Unfortunately, urbanization of Kaua’i has resulted in young birds getting confused on their first nocturnal flight from their nesting burrow out to sea.
If you find a downed bird, gently pick it up from behind with a towel, carefully wrapping the material completely around its back and wings. Place it in a ventilated cardboard box, pet carrier, or other nonairtight container as soon as possible. Don’t be worried too much because the birds are usually docile, but wrapping the bird in a towel will protect you and the bird. Keep the bird covered and in a quiet, shaded location. Do not attempt to release the bird yourself, for It may have internal injuries or be too tired or weak to survive. Throwing the bird into the air could cause more injury. Do not feed, water or handle it, and take it to the nearest shearwater aid station.
More information can be found at Save Our Shearwaters. Since 1979, volunteers and residents have collected 31,224 seabirds, and 92 percent were recovered and released. Up to 2,000 Newell’s Shearwaters were picked up annually through the SOS program, and 91 percent were released into the wild. The SOS season begins in mid-September, when the first seabird fledglings begin to emerge from their nests. Photo by Forest & Kim Starr
SOS Aid Station Locations
North
Kilauea Medical Group
Princeville Fire Station
Hanalei Liquor Store
Princeville Sheraton Hotel
East
Lihu’e Fire Station
Marriott Hotel
Lihu’e Airport
Kapa’a Fire Station
Matson Nawiliwili
Kaua’i Humane Society
West
Waimea Fire Station
Hanapepe Fire Station
Kalaheo Fire Station
Port Allen Chevron
PMRF
South
Koloa Fire Station
Poi’pu/Hyatt
Poi’pu/Sheraton
