This year is the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act, a law that has been a powerful catalyst for conservation of America鈥檚 most treasured fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats. In the Pacific Region, our Tribes, state and federal agencies, and partners have joined with our dedicated staff to be the driving force behind the successes we share and the strength ensuring we can address the challenges ahead. Celebrate this milestone with us in this collection of stories as we reflect on past successes, assess current challenges, and envision an equally bright future for the next 50 years and beyond.
Conservationists in Hawai鈥榠 are rejoicing over the first successful breeding of 鈥榓kikiki, or Kaua驶i creeper, in captivity. The 鈥榓kikiki is a critically endangered species found only in the remote forests of Kaua鈥榠, and the young fledgling represents a significant step in efforts to save this small Hawaiian honeycreeper.
鈥淭he parents that produced this offspring came from eggs collected in the wild.鈥� said Jennifer Pribble, Research Coordinator, Hawai鈥榠 Endangered Bird Conservation Program, San Diego Zoo Global. 鈥淪o this is the first offspring ever produced in captivity. It was parent-reared, raised completely by its mother, without any human intervention. The parents are a 3-year old male and 2-year old female.鈥�
Eggs from 鈥榓kikiki have been collected from native forest habitat since 2015 as part of an effort to preserve the species from extinction. The eggs were brought into human care to start a breeding population through a collaborative effort by the Kaua鈥榠 Forest Bird Recovery Project, State of Hawai鈥榠 Department of Land and Natural Resources鈥� Division of Forestry and Wildlife, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service-Pacific Islands Fish and Wildlife Office, and San Diego Zoo Global鈥檚 Hawai鈥榠 Endangered Bird Conservation Program.
鈥淭he 鈥榓kikiki population has shown steep declines over the past 10 to 15 years, and now number fewer than 500 birds in the wild,鈥� said Lisa 鈥淐ali鈥� Crampton, Kaua鈥榠 Forest Bird Recovery Project Coordinator. She adds, 鈥淲e hope that one day this young bird and its kin will be released on the Alaka鈥榠 Plateau to help turn this number around.鈥�
鈥淭he future of forest birds on Kaua鈥榠 depends on all of us working together and is especially important for critically endangered birds like the 鈥榓kikiki,鈥� said Michelle Clark, Kaua鈥榠 Partnerships Biologist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 鈥淎 panel of experts in Hawaiian forest bird conservation identified the initiation of a conservation breeding program as an essential step to prevent extinction of 鈥榓kikiki. Being able to reproduce in captivity is another step forward for the species.鈥�
About the 鈥楢kikiki
The 鈥榓kikiki is a species of Hawaiian honeycreeper found only on the island of Kaua鈥榠. This small bird species has been severely affected by introduced diseases such as avian malaria, as well as loss of native forest habitat, hurricanes, and the introduction of non-native predator species in the wild. Very little is known about 鈥榓kikiki and they have not been raised in an intensive care setting before. Conservationists with the Hawai鈥榠 Endangered Bird Conservation Program have successfully cared for a number of other similar native Hawaiian birds and are using these and new techniques to help this endangered species thrive.
鈥淎fter collecting the first 鈥榓kikiki eggs and hand-raising the chicks, it is exciting to have confirmation that our artificial incubation and hand-rearing techniques are successful with this milestone of 鈥榓kikiki reproducing in captivity,鈥� said Jeremy Hodges, Research Coordinator, Hawai鈥榠 Endangered Bird Conservation Program, San Diego Zoo Global.
Partners in Conservation
This effort has also been supported by the Mohamed Bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund, American Bird Conservancy, Hawaiian Airlines, Kaua鈥榠 Realty, Bryan and Tanya Tanaka, and anonymous donors.
Bringing species back from the brink of extinction is the goal of San Diego Zoo Global. As a leader in conservation, the work of San Diego Zoo Global includes onsite wildlife conservation efforts (representing both plants and animals) at the San Diego Zoo, the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, and San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research, as well as international field programs on six continents. The work of these entities is inspiring children through the San Diego Zoo Kids network, reaching out through the Internet and in children鈥檚 hospitals nationwide. The work of San Diego Zoo Global is made possible by the San Diego Zoo Global Wildlife Conservancy and is supported in part by the Foundation of San Diego Zoo Global.
The Kaua鈥榠 Forest Bird Recovery Project is a collaboration between the of the University of Hawai'i and the Hawaii . Its mission is to promote knowledge, appreciation, and conservation of Kauai鈥檚 native forest birds, with a particular focus on the three endangered species: Puaiohi, 鈥楢kikiki and 鈥楢keke鈥榚. For more information, please see . The mission of the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources鈥� Division of Forestry and Wildlife is to responsibly manage and protect watersheds, native ecosystems, and cultural resources and provide outdoor recreation and sustainable forest products opportunities, while facilitating partnerships, community involvement and education.
The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The mission of the Pacific Islands Fish and Wildlife Office is to conserve and restore native biodiversity and ecological integrity of Pacific Island ecosystems for the benefit of present and future generations through leadership, science-based management, and collaborative partnerships.
More Photos available at
###
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service works with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. For more information, visit www.fws.gov/pacificislands, or connect with us through any of these social media channels at , , or
