Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 33, Number 5, 1 May 2016 — Successful breeding program for rare Hawaiion bird ends [ARTICLE]

Successful breeding program for rare Hawaiion bird ends

Eighteen captive-reared puaiohi were released into Kaua'i forests in April, joining an existing wild population that numbers about 500 birds. In the late 1990s, it was believed there were fewer than 300 puaiohi on the island. The release signals the end of the breeding program and the beginning of recovery efforts that include addressing remaining threats such as introduced predators and habitat loss from degradation and invasive weeds. The successful breeding program was conducted by conservation biologists from county, state and federal agencies, along with the San Diego Zoo Global's Hawaiian Endangered Bird Conservation Program, and offers hope for other endangered birds. "Following the model used for the puaiohi, we are now working to build breeding populations for two other critically

endangered Kaua'i species, the 'akikiki and 'akeke'e, while eontinuing to manage habitat and other threats for these three endangered birds, so that we ean eventually release them back into the wild," said John Vetter, Wildlife Biologist for the Department of Land and Natural Resources.