The Kaua`i Creeper or `Akikiki has been named one of America’s top 10 threatened species impacted by global warming in a new report released today.

"America’s Hottest Species," produced by the Endangered Species Coalition in conjunction with a coalition of groups including American Bird Conservancy, highlights how our changing climate is increasing the risk of extinction for 11 species around the U.S. that are on the brink of disappearing forever.
 
“Global warming is like a bulldozer shoving species, already on the brink of extinction, perilously closer to the edge of existence,” said Leda Huta, executive director of the Endangered Species Coalition.

“Polar bears, lynx, salmon, coral and many other endangered species are already feeling the heat.  The species in this report are representative of all imperiled wildlife, plants, and fish that are now facing an additional, compounding threat to their survival, and why we need to take action today to protect them.”
 
“Hawai`i is the epicenter of extinction in the America’s,” said George Wallace, American Bird Conservancy’s Vice President for Oceans and Islands.

“There are a number of factors that have led to the disappearance of so many of Hawai`i’s native birds since it was colonized, including introduced pigs, goats, cats, rats, and mosquitoes.

Global warming adds a huge new, incipient threat to the `Akikiki and the other remaining endemic birds of the archipelago.”
 
Local Species in Need
The `Akikiki is a type of honeycreeper, a group of birds that shows tremendous variation, even more so than Darwin’s famous finches of the Galapagos.

At least 59 species originally occurred in Hawai`i, but, with human settlement came multiple introductions of exotic species that caused the extinction of all but 17.

Avian malaria is a serious threat to the `Akikiki, one that could be exacerbated by global warming. An increase in temperature of slightly less than 4°F in the montane forests of Kaua’i would result in an 85% decrease in the ‘Akikiki’s safe haven area where malaria transmission is currently limited by cool temperatures.
 
In response to a petition from American Bird Conservancy and Hawaiian bird expert, Dr. Eric VanderWerf, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed listing the `Akikiki under the Endangered Species Act, along with `Akeke`e, another imperiled honeycreeper found only on Kaua’i.
 
The report focuses on 10 species or groups of related species, as well as those being reviewed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act. The global warming threats to these species include increased disease, diminished reproduction, lost habitat, reduced food supply, and other impacts.
 
The highlighted species are:
1.    Kaua’i Creeper or ‘Akikiki
2.    Elkhorn Coral
3.    Bull Trout
4.    Canada Lynx
5.    Pacific Salmon
6.    Leatherback Sea Turtle
7.    Grizzly Bear
8.    Bog Turtle
9.    Western Prairie Fringed Orchid
10. Flatwoods Salamander
Activists’ Choice: Polar Bear
 
Safeguarding Species in a Warming World
“To help protect and restore endangered species, our nation must address the impacts global warming is already having and clean up the sources of global warming pollution,” said Huta.

"America’s Hottest Species" calls for action from both Congress and the Obama Administration.
 
The full report, which includes information on each species and initial solutions, is available online at www.StopExtinction.org.