Hawaiian shearwater birds are considered to be endangered birds.
(Mirror Daily, United States) Hawaiian Shearwater populations are endemic to the Hawaiian islands and are considered to be an endangered species. Specialists at the Pacific Rim Conservancy are now taking care of five chicks and are very optimistic about them turning into healthy adults.
The Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge is a special reserve which is in charged of the well-being of the seabirds. They offer them shelter from predators, and the babies are safe in here. Eight Hawaiian Shearwater babies were brought to the center last month, in September.
Caretakers looked after their new residents and provided them with proper food. The babies were fed with a squid and fish. Since they were not able to feed themselves, caretakers fed them by hand. Each bird is closely monitored until the time it leaves the nest.
Three of the chicks brought at the Hawaiian center have already fledged, which makes specialists pleased with the results of their work. Now there are only five babies left at Pacific Rim Conservancy organization.
The wildlife refuge is located on the Kauai island, which is the oldest in the Hawaiian archipelago. The Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge is also the first such sanctuary in the islands, which offers the seabirds shelter against predators, as the area is surrounded by a fence which is six feet tall.
Cats, dogs, and rodents are considered to be the enemies of the Hawaiian Shearwater birds. The building of the fence took workers three months and was completed two years ago. The clearing of the area and removal of predators was done last year. Native plants were also added to the enclosure, and now seabirds feel like home at the Hawaiian sanctuary.
Specialists expect that the adult Hawaiian Shearwater birds will return to the site. They intend to raise new colonies in captivity and release them in the wild afterward. However, they receive new babies every fall.
Researchers started special programs to track and monitor the native seabird species in Hawaii. Their projects include partnerships with other organizations. The Pacific Rim Conservation is also involved in one of the projects, namely the one about the Hawaiian Shearwater species.
The Hawaiian Shearwater birds are considered to be one of the endangered species in Hawaii. They are also called Newell’s shearwater. They used to be much more numerous on the Hawaiian islands, but their population numbers started to decline due to habitat loss, as well as the introduction of other predators in their habitat.
Image courtesy of: Wikipedia