Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
BIRDS
More species of native birds have become extinct in Hawaii in the last 200 years than anywhere
else on the planet. Of 67 native species, 23 are extinct and 30 are endangered. Even the Hawaii-
an crow, the
alala,
is threatened.
The
ae'o,
or Hawaiian stilt—a 16-inch-long bird with a black head, black coat, white under-
side, and long pink legs—can be found in protected wetlands.
Hawaii's state bird is the
nene.
It's being brought back from the brink of extinction through
strenuous protection laws and captive breeding. A relative of the Canada goose, the nene
stands about 2 feet high and has a black head and yellow cheeks. The approximately 500 nene
in existence can be seen in only three places: on Maui at Haleakala National Park, and on the
Big Island at Mauna Kea State Recreation Area bird sanctuary and on the slopes of Mauna
Kea.
A newborn nene chick.
The Hawaiian short-eared owl, the
pueo,
which grows to between 12 and 17 inches, can be
seen at dawn and dusk on Kauai, Maui, and the Big Island. According to legend, spotting a
pueo is a good omen.
