The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will be holding two meetings next week on the Big Island to discuss a proposal to remove the Hawaiian hawk, or 'io, from the federal list of endangered and threatened wildlife.

The meetings will be 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Jan. 28 at the Pu'ueo Community Center in Hilo and 6 to 8 p.m. Jan. 29 at Yano Hall in Captain Cook.

The 'io is a small, broad-winged hawk native to Hawai'i. It is the only member of the hawk family that nests and resides in the islands.

It was listed as endangered in 1967.

Thanks to recovery and conservation efforts, the 'io is now found throughout the Big Island and has maintained a stable population for a least 20 years, according to the federal agency.

Researchers estimate the total population at 3,000 birds.

A copies of the proposed rule and a post-delisting monitoring plan can be downloaded at the Fish and Wildlife Service's Web site at www.fws.gov/pacificislands.