Group plans to capture wild parrots on Maui
By Timothy Hurley
Advertiser Maui County Bureau
HUELO, Maui — An organization that runs a sanctuary for unwanted birds has been given a state permit to capture a wild flock of parrots said to be a threat to agriculture and the environment.
Advertiser library photo • December 2000
Maui Animal Rescue & Sanctuary aims to capture the flock of mitered conures and to house them at its 5.5-acre property in Ha'iku. It's not known exactly how many birds are in the flock, which has been numbered at anywhere from 50 to 200.
Wild parrots are seen as a threat to the environment.
The operation is designed to prevent state officials from destroying the birds.
"We want to to take them out in a humane way rather than having them shot. We want to be given that opportunity,'' said Yvette DeLeon, a veterinary assistant at the sanctuary.
State wildlife officials say the growing numbers of conures that nest high in the vertical sea cliffs at Huelo represent a threat to native ecosystems — particularly in their ability to carry the seeds of invasive weeds over great distances, but also because of the possible introduction of bird diseases.
Parrots are known as a pest to agriculture, officials say, especially to growers of fruits, corn and seed crops. Agricultural concerns on the Big Island and Kaua'i already have parrot control programs under way.
The Huelo flock apparently grew to its present size from a couple of birds released in the community 14 years ago. Today, the birds have been seen on Maui's north shore from Ha'iku to Hanawana Point and also flying into mauka areas to feed on rose apples, mountain apples, banyan figs and guavas.
The birds have been the subject of a study conducted by scientists commissioned by the Maui Invasive Species Committee.
DeLeon said the East Maui group, working with scientists from the World Parrot Trust, will establish a trapping location in Huelo where "humane traps'' and a large cage will be constructed. Feeding has already begun at the property to establish a habit of visitation by the birds, she said.
The group, which has a year to complete its mission under terms of the permit, will attempt to capture the flock all at once, she said.
Once captured, the conures will be individually banded and permanently housed at the Ha'iku sanctuary, a home for unwanted birds and rabbits backed by more than $1 million in annual support from WebTV founder and president Bruce Leak of San Francisco. The nonprofit foundation opened on Maui two years ago and is now home to 80 parrots and numerous rabbits.
The mitered conures will be placed in a large cage on newly leased property adjacent to the original sanctuary, DeLeon said.
State wildlife biologist Fern Duvall said officials hope the group's plan will succeed but are prepared to address the situation if necessary.
The state will consider lethal measures, Duvall said, which might include shooting. It would also consider trapping and netting the birds. This option would involve a tricky operation to rappel down the precipitous Huelo sea cliffs.
In the meantime, the state will continue to monitor the conures. In December, a radar system now being used to monitor shearwaters on Kaua'i will be available for use on Maui. The machinery will allow officials to better count the conures, Duvall said.
