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Other native birds
Nene - endangered!
The nene goose is the Hawaiian state bird. It's ancestor is the Canada
Goose, a common waterfowl of North America. The nene have adapted to the
dry rocky terrain of the Hawaiian islands by decreasing the webbing on
their feet.
Unlike many of the waterfowl that populated Hawaii before the arrival
of humans, the nene retained their ability to fly, thus
helping them evade
predators once humans and their imported mammals settled on the islands.
Today, one can find populations of nene on Maui at Haleakala National Park.
Pueo or Hawaiian Short Eared Owl
Few of the native birds of Maui are adapted to open areas. If you think
about what the island looked like before the arrival of humans, you can
see why - dense forests of native plants blanketed most of the land.
The exception to this is the Pueo, a small diurnal owl (active during the
day) that flys over grassy fields in search of prey. Before the introduction
of mammals, Pueo preyed on native forest birds. Today, rodents make up
a large percentage of the Pueo's diet.
'Ua'u of Hawaiian Petrel - endangered!
Named after its vocalizations (an eerie oooh-ah-oooh) these birds make
their nests underground in the form of burrows. When not nesting, these
birds spend their lives over the ocean. The largest population of
'Ua'u in Hawaii can be found in Haleakala Crater. Even here, these birds
are vulnerable to predation in burrows by the introduced species of mongooses,
rats and feral cats.
Kolea or Pacific Golden Plover
 The
Kolea nest in Alaska and migrate to the Hawaiian islands during the winter
months, though some populations of Kolea have established themselves on
the islands year-round. These birds are commonly found in open grassy areas.
Their plumage varies from drab under parts and brown upper parts of brown
speckled with gold to a bold black front edged with white, as shown in
this picture. This second version is the Kolea's breeding plumage.
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What does it mean to be native of Hawaii?
It means that the plant, bird, insect or aquatic creature must have
arrived on the islands without the help of humans.
The Hawaiian islands are at least 2,500 miles away from any major land
mass. The only way to get here without human assistance is by:
Wind
Waves
Wings
This is just a sampe of the waterfowl, shorebirds, and other birds
that can be found on the Hawaiian islands. For more details, pick up
"A Pocket
Guide
to
Hawaii's Birds" by H. Douglas Pratt at your local bookstore.
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