Endangered songbirds to be released on Kaua'i

By Timothy Hurley
Advertiser Staff Writer

As part of an ongoing program to revive an endangered Kaua'i songbird, wildlife officials are gearing up to release 18 puaiohi over several weeks into the Alaka'i Wilderness Preserve.

The puaiohi population is believed to number fewer than 500. The 18 birds to be released were raised at the Keauhou Bird Conservation Center on the Big Island and the Maui Bird Conservation Center.

The releases are a joint undertaking of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources and the San Diego Zoo's Hawai'i Endangered Bird Conservation Program.

The puaiohi, also known as the small Kaua'i thrush, has been reduced to a single population in the wet forest of the Alaka'i preserve.

Grazing, invasive alien plants, introduced predators and disease are thought to be contributing to the decline of the species. More than half of Hawai'i's surviving songbirds are listed as endangered.

"We have been able to release 95 captive-reared puaiohi back into the wilderness since 1999, and we believe these recruits are making a significant contribution to the recovery of the population," said Alan Lieberman, director of the San Diego Zoo's propagation efforts in Hawai'i.

The captive puaiohi will be placed in an aviary at the release site, where they will spend seven to 10 days adjusting to the environment. Over five weeks, six birds at a time will be released. Each bird will be fitted with a radio transmitter that will allow biologists to monitor their movements, health and range.