Updated at 5:41 p.m., Monday, April 2, 2007
Mayor designates manu-o-Ku as O'ahu's official bird
Advertiser Staff
Mayor Mufi Hannemann today designated the manu-o-Ku — white tern — as the official bird of the City and County of Honolulu.Hannemann was joined by representatives of the Polynesian Voyaging Society, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Audubon Society of Hawaii in the proclamation ceremony on the Honolulu Hale lawn.
The manu-o-Ku commonly breeds throughout the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Among the eight major Islands of Hawai'i, it breeds only on O'ahu.
"Manu-o-Ku is a natural choice for us, because its home is the entire City and County of Honolulu, which encompasses O'ahu as well as the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands," Hannemann said in a news release. "In addition, this handsome bird has been a traditional wayfinder and guide for Polynesian voyagers of ancient times as well as today."
The manu-o-Ku will be featured in Hannemann's 21st Century Ahupua'a campaign, which focuses on establishing a sustainable future for Honolulu.
"It's a natural fit. Manu-o-Ku is a creature of the sea and land," Hannemann said.
"As a threatened species, it embodies the fragile nature of Hawai'i's unique environment. And we are pledged to protect and nurture both the 'aina and manu-o-Ku for future generations."
