Many of the winter’s exciting vagrants extended their stay into spring. The Harlequin Duck (which caused a stir as not only the first of its species confirmed in the Main Hawaiian Islands but also possibly the southernmost record anywhere) continued on Hawaiʻi Island through mid-March before briefly popping up next to a submarine at Pearl Harbor. Maui’s first Long-tailed Duck instead opted to stay put at the wildlife refuge where it was first discovered. Much of this winter’s notable gull diversity was also retained: Maui’s Bonaparte’s Gull was seen on a couple more occasions, strong numbers of Franklin’s Gulls continued across the main islands, and Hawaii County’s first Short-billed Gull was last seen in mid-March, though its Ring-billed Gull persisted through the end of the month. The Hawaii Region’s first Magnificent Frigatebird, initially discovered in fall but not reported during winter, was re-found on Kauaʻi’s north shore. The appearance of three Grey Herons on Kure and Midway Atolls made for an exciting new development, marking only the second and third confirmed occurrences of this species in the Hawaii Region, respectively. The regional first White Wagtail, first found in autumn, was reported a few last times on Midway before evidently disappearing in March.

The true avian gems, however, are the native Hawaiian honeycreepers which are treasured by local and visiting birders alike. A testament to the wonders of speciation, an ancestral flock of finches radiated into an original stunning array of over fifty honeycreeper species. Sadly, two thirds of this remarkable diversity has already been lost to extinction as a result of introduced threats including habitat loss, invasive species, predators, and disease. These forces operate synergistically, but mosquito-borne avian malaria arguably represents the most dire contemporary threat. Warming temperatures have allowed the insects’ ingress into ever-higher elevations. Five species—Palila, Kiwikiu, ʻAkekeʻe, ʻĀkohekohe, and ʻAkikiki—have experienced particularly precipitous population declines and the first three are predicted to disappear within the decade. ʻAkikiki is already functionally extinct in the wild, though this spring the individual known as “Pakele” was reported in early March, foraging alone on her territory. Efforts to implement landscape-level mosquito control on Maui and Kauaʻi constitute a race against time… and extinction.

Abbreviations

Beach Park BP, multiple observers m. ob., National Historical Park NHP, National Wildlife Refuge NWR, State Waterbird Sanctuary SWS, Wildlife Management Area WMA, Wastewater Treatment Plant WTP.

Waterfowl through Grebes

Both of the Hawaiian Islands’ long-term-resident Snow Geese (i.e. the individuals at Waiākea Pond on Hawaiʻi Island and Princeville Makai Golf Course on Kauaʻi) continued at their respective locations (m. ob.). A second Snow Goose was also observed on Kauaʻi’s west side, on the Mānā Plains 17–27 Apr (Keane Sammon, Adrian Burke, Jillian Soller, Stephen Rossiter, Jim Denny, David Hanna, Bobby Brittingham). Brant was reported from Paʻakai Pond at the Marine Corps Base on the north shore of Oʻahu on 10 Mar (Alexander Christensen). Cackling Goose continued at Kauaʻi’s Kīlauea Point NWR; it was observed on 20 Mar (David Hanna) and 27 Mar (Melina Doerring). On Oʻahu, Cackling Goose was reported at Kapiʻolani Park on 12 Mar (Lucy Ormonda), and pairs were seen at Waimea Valley Audubon Center on 16 Mar (Heather Linton) and at Pearl Harbor NWR on 17 May (Mario Farr, Hugo Cobos). On Hawaiʻi Island, the Cackling Goose present at Kealakekua WTP since at least Feb 2011 continued at that location (m. ob.). This bird (or possibly a second individual) was also reported at the adjacent Kaloko-Honokōhau NHP on 1 Mar (Richard Rowlee).

The female Gadwall discovered at Oʻahu’s Pearl Harbor NWR on 29 Dec continued there through 15 Mar (Michael Young, Richard Rowlee, Mario Farr, Kurt Pohlman). Two Greater Scaup were reported at Hawaiʻi Island’s Kaloko-Honokōhau Beach 1–16 Mar (Ron Pozzi, Don Coons, Thomas Ford-Hutchinson, Alex Wang). Hawaiʻi Island’s Harlequin Duck, first found at Honuʻapo on 25 Nov, continued there until 17 Mar (m. ob.). This bird was notable as the first Harlequin Duck ever recorded in the Main Hawaiian Islands, and at nineteen degrees north latitude, it may have also been the most equatorial record of the species anywhere in the world. Incredibly, a Harlequin Duck—possibly the same individual—was also later observed on Oʻahu, reportedly sitting in the water next to a submarine at Pearl Harbor National Memorial on 5 Apr (Heather Wilson). Maui’s Long-tailed Duck, a county first and the seventh live individual ever documented in the Hawaii Region, continued at Keālia Pond NWR through 29 Apr (m. ob.). This observation follows a dramatic uptick in Long-tailed Duck encounters in the Hawaiian Islands over the last couple of years. Prior to the fall of 2022, only two live individuals had ever been found anywhere in the archipelago, and a quarter-century gap immediately preceded the fall 2022 birds.

Notably, Keālia Pond NWR retained its strong Bufflehead numbers; its winter high count of six birds continued through 12 Mar (Nathaniel Watkins, Kurt Pohlman, Jim Pea). A single Bufflehead also continued at Hawaiʻi Island’s Kaloko-Honokōhau NHP through 16 Mar (Ron Pozzi, Don Coons, Hal Michael, Pat Michael, Bruce Aird, Thomas Ford-Hutchinson, Alex Wang). Pied-billed Grebe was sighted throughout the spring season at Hilo’s Waiākea Pond, where an individual has resided since 2015 (Jason McKinney, Amada Navine, Bruce Aird, Thomas Ford-Hutchinson, Sherman Wing, Carson Lambert, Aurora Kuczek, Edward Paxton).

Shorebirds through Jaegers

Black-bellied Plover was reported at two locations on Oʻahu this spring: at Pouhala Marsh on 26 Mar (Richard May, Peter Donaldson) and at Turtle Bay Resort on 21 May (Michael Young). Only one of these birds was in breeding plumage, and oddly, it was not the latter! Molokaʻi’s Kōheo Wetland had two Black-bellied Plovers on 10 Apr which were joined by a third individual two days later (Jean Eaton). Black-bellied Plover was also seen at Hawaiʻi Island’s Keāhole Point on 15 May (Lance Tanino). Semipalmated Plover was at Oʻahu’s Pearl Harbor NWR 5–8 May (Kurt Pohlman, Michael Young, Richard May, Peter Donaldson). The Dunlin present at Maui’s Keālia Pond NWR since 5 Dec was last reported on 7 Mar (Kurt Pohlman). Least Sandpiper was also reported from this site on 25 Apr (Nathaniel Watkins). Pectoral Sandpiper continued at Hawaiʻi Island’s Kealakehe WTP through 19 Apr (m. ob.). Up to two individuals were reported there on a handful of occasions until 5 Apr. Pectoral Sandpiper was also seen at Kauaʻi’s Mānā Plains on 17 Apr (Keane Sammon, Adrian Burke, Jillian Soller) and on Midway Atoll on 18 Apr (Jonathan Plissner, Chris Forster).

Gray-tailed Tattler continued on Midway Atoll through 9 May (Calvin Grigal, Jonathan Plissner, Lisa Brouellette, Chris Forster, Zach Matchinski). Two individuals were reported on several occasions during this time period and a high count of three birds was achieved on 2 Mar (Calvin Grigal). In the Main Hawaiian Islands, Gray-tailed Tattler persisted at Kauaʻi’s Salt Pond Beach Park through 31 Mar (Kevin Burke, Judy Walker, Carl Winstead, Kathy Jackson, Deborah Rivel, Laura Erickson, Karen Winstead, Demorah Linde, Gordon Payne, Erik Bruhnke, Tyler Connell, Ben Cole, Ryan Rodriguez, Kadynn Hatfield, Chris Ellingwood, Nathaniel Watkins, Tim Waters). The Lesser Yellowlegs sporadically observed at Oʻahu’s Pearl Harbor NWR over the winter was reported through 26 Apr (Anna Vallery, Nicholas Minnich, Richard May, Michael Young, Kurt Pohlman, Joerg Graf, Chad Wilhite, Olivia Wang). An individual was also observed on the north shore, at James Campbell NWR, on 8 Mar (Eric VanderWerf). A Red Phalarope was seen resting on the beach of Midway Atoll before entering the water on 14 Apr (Dan Rapp), and in the Main Hawaiian Islands, an individual flew past Oʻahu’s Japanese Fishing Shrine on 10 Mar (Hanyang Ye, Jerry Ling, Shiqian Zue, Wenxin Hu, Xinzhao Li).

South Polar Skua was observed flying past Kānemilohaʻi, or French Frigate Shoals, in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands on 19 May (Sarah Donahue). This observation is atypical firstly in that few records of this species have ever been generated from the Northwesterns. Admittedly, this vast region of the Hawaiian archipelago is incredibly remote and difficult to access; it is, by extension, far less thoroughly birded than are the Main Islands. Secondly, the overwhelming majority of skua encounters in the Hawaii Region occur in fall, between Aug and Nov. A westbound Pomarine Jaeger was observed from Kauaʻi’s MacArthur Park during a 27 Apr seawatch (Adrian Burke, Keane Sammon). Long-tailed Jaeger was seen kleptoparasitizing a White-tailed Tropicbird during a 5 May pelagic out of Port Allen, Kauaʻi (Adrian Burke, Keane Sammon, Ben Cole, Julien Ueda, Jillian Soller, Tyler Connell).

Gulls

On Maui, the winter’s elusive Bonaparte’s Gull was reported a third (and final) time at Kaʻanapali Golf Course, on 24 Apr (Reginald David). The Bonaparte’s which showed up at Kanahā Pond Wildlife Sanctuary in north-central Maui five days later may have been the same individual (Nathaniel Watkins). This spring was a stellar one for Franklin’s Gull; individuals were detected on four of the Main Hawaiian Islands. A bird was observed on westside Kauaʻi 17 Apr–18 May (Keane Sammon, Adrian Burke, Jillian Soller, Jim Denny, Bobby Brittingham, Stephen Rossiter), and a high count of two individuals was obtained on 20 and 24 Apr (David Hanna, Mandy Talpas). On Oʻahu, Franklin’s Gulls were observed on 21 Apr at Pearl Harbor NWR (Kurt Pohlman, Chad Wilhite, Olivia Wang) and near Honolulu’s harbor on 28 May (Lance Dumalan). At Maui’s Kanahā Pond, Franklin’s Gull was observed on 24 Apr (Reginald David) and 22 May (Thomas Tinsley), and three birds were reported there on 26 May (Nathaniel Watkins). At Maui’s Keālia Pond NWR, two Franklin’s Gulls were seen on 25 and 29 Apr (Nathaniel Watkins). The count of five on 25 and 29 Apr (Nathaniel Watkins) was impressive. However, that total increased to eight on 28 Apr (Marc Better), a count which tied the highest-ever tally of Franklin’s Gull ever recorded at a single location in Hawaii (eBird, Pyle & Pyle 2017). On the Island of Hawaiʻi, Franklin’s Gull was reported at Kaloko-Honokōhau NHP on 26 May (Nathan DeSousa), at Mauna Kea Beach on 27 May (Amanda Navine), and two were seen at Mauna Lani Golf Course on 31 May (Merry Miller). The hotspot of activity on the big island, however, was at Kealakehe WTP, where between two and four individuals were reported regularly from 20 Apr through 31 May (m. ob.).

The Short-billed Gull present at the Waikōloa Beach Resort on the northwestern shoreline of Hawaiʻi Island since late Nov was last seen 11 Mar (Lance Tanino, Michael Young, Mandy Talpas, Richard Rowlee, Kevin Burke, Erik Bruhnke, Aija Konrad). Both Common and Short-billed Gulls—the resultant species from the 2021 split of Mew Gull—are rare in the Hawaii region. All three previous records of the species in the Main Hawaiian Islands were from Oʻahu and Kauaʻi, making this bird a first for Hawaii County. The Waikōloa Beach Resort area was also frequented by a Ring-billed Gull 4–28 Mar (Richard Rowlee, Kevin Burke, Erik Bruhnke, Amanda Navine, Mandy Talpas, Aija Konrad, Bruce Aird, Thomas Ford-Hutchinson, Kari Piwoni, Adam Schaffer, Alessandro Molina, Michael Piwoni). Ring-billed Gull was also photographed farther north along the coast, at Hāpuna Beach State Park, on 8 Apr (Gret Foust). Ring-billed Gull was also reported farther south along Hawaiʻi’s Kona Coast, at Kealakehe WTP on 15 and 20 Mar (Bonnie Bompart, Jeffrey Anderson, Eleanor Sarren) and at nearby ʻAimakapā Pond NHP on 19 Mar (Carlos Ross). Glaucous-winged Gull sightings this spring were limited; an individual was on Oʻahu at Nuʻupia Ponds WMA on 15 Apr (Laura Gilbert) and 24 Apr (Kyle Rambo) and another was seen on Lānaʻi at Hulopoʻe BP on 13 Apr (Nathaniel Watkins).

Noddy, Terns, and Tropicbird

Blue-gray Noddy breeds in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands but is rarely observed away from the immediate vicinity of known colonies. One individual was observed at sea, 30 mi SW of Nihoa, on 9 May (Bret Mossman). White Tern breeds in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands as well as along the tree-lined streets of downtown Honolulu, but it is rarely observed in Kauaʻi or Hawaiʻi counties. In the former, White Tern was reported during a 4 May seawatch at Kahala Point (Adrian Burke, Keane Sammon) and at Kīlauea Point NWR on 2 Mar (Keane Sammon), 23 May (Keane Sammon), and 25 May (Kim C). White Tern was also encountered offshore of Kona, Hawaiʻi Island during a 21 Apr pelagic (Mandy Talpas, Suzanne Roberts, Gary Smith, Helen Smith, Reginald David, Vicki Nebes, Alvaro Jaramillo, Alex Plumridge). Gray-backed Tern was reported at Oʻahu’s Japanese Fishing Shrine on 6 Apr (Kurt Pohlman), and two individuals were reported during a 4 May seawatch at Kahala Point on Kauaʻi (Adrian Burke, Keane Sammon). While the majority of the Hawaiian Grey-backed Tern population nests in the Northwesterns, a small subset breeds on offshore islets in the vicinity of Oʻahu (Mokumanu) and Kauaʻi (Kaula Rock) (Pyle & Pyle 2017).

Little Tern was observed landing in the historic nesting area on Midway Atoll on 26 Apr, 5 May, and 9 May (Jonathan Plissner, Zach Matchinski). The congeneric Least Tern breeds in small numbers at the opposing end of the Hawaiian archipelago. At the southeastern extreme, on Hawaiʻi Island, one individual was regularly observed at Kealakehe WTP 29 Mar–10 May (Reginald David, Mandy Talpas, Garrett Lau, Brent Stephenson, Jay Robinson). Two individuals were spotted flying along the coastline farther north, at Keāhole Point on 3 Apr (Lance Tanino), and one bird was seen in the same vicinity, from Makoko Bay Drive, on 31 May (Lance Tanino, Kellen Apuna). On Midway Atoll, towards the northwesternmost part of the archipelago, between one and four Least Terns were observed at the water catchment area 23 Apr–22 May (Jonathan Plissner, Zach Matchinski, Chris Forster). Additionally, two birds were at Midway’s cargo pier on 9 May (Chris Forster), two were at the north beach on 12 May (Chris Forster), and three were reported on 14 May (Bret Mossman).

Caspian Tern was spotted on 16 Mar at Nuʻupia Pond on Oʻahu (Kurt Pohlman), the same place where an individual has overwintered almost annually since 2002. Black Tern was first reported at Kauaʻi’s Kawaiʻele SWS on 24 Apr (Edward Paxton, Pete Morris). The bird was subsequently sighted in the flooded fields of Mānā Plain 27 Apr–24 May (Bobby Brittingham, Adrian Burke, Keane Sammon, Jim Denny, Julien Ueda). This bird was only the third Black Tern ever recorded on Kauaʻi, and interestingly all three occurred in the same part of the island: the Sep 1998 bird was at the Pacific Missile Range Facility (Jim Denny) and the Nov 2010 sighting also occurred at Kawaiʻele SWS (Pyle & Pyle 2017). Arctic Tern, famous for its long-distance migrations, breeds and overwinters in the Arctic and Antarctic, respectively. These marathons regularly take this species through Hawaiian waters, albeit almost exclusively between 15 Apr and 9 May (Pyle & Pyle 2017). The Arctic Tern reported at sea 40 mi south of Nihoa on 9 May (Bret Mossman) conformed to that expected timeframe.

Both White-tailed and Red-tailed Tropicbirds readily call the Hawaii Region home. However, a third tropicbird species, Red-billed Tropicbird, is also occasionally observed despite being native to the eastern Pacific (Pyle & Pyle 2017). On Oʻahu, the section of coastline in the vicinity of Koko Crater has served as a long-standing hotspot for the species. This spring, Red-billed Tropicbird was regularly observed in this area until 9 Apr (m. ob.). Two individuals were noted there on 1 and 9 Mar (Eric VanderWerf).

Albatross through Shearwaters

Midway Atoll is the chosen home of the celebrated Laysan Albatross who, at the age of at least 73, is the world’s oldest-known bird. The incredible longevity which granted her acumen in practice as well as in name is, however, a double-edged sword: “Wisdom” seems to have outlived her mate, “Akeakamai,” who has not been seen since 2021 (ACAP 2024). She was finally observed engaging in courtship dances with potential new mates this winter, and this courting spilled over into spring. While her efforts were too late to result in a chick this breeding season, it is hoped that she may once again impart her impressive genetics to offspring in the near future. Short-tailed Albatross had been hunted nearly to extinction by the turn of the 20th century, but the species persisted on the Japanese Island of Torishima. In Oct 2000, a social attraction project commenced on Midway Atoll, which in Jan 2011 produced the first Short-tailed Albatross chick known to have hatched outside of Japan (Pyle & Pyle 2017). This spring, famed Short-tailed Albatross pair “George” and “Geraldine” continued provisioning for this season’s chick. A subadult—possibly a previous season’s chick—was also observed on several occasions (Calvin Grigal, Lisa Brouellette, Zach Matchinski, Chris Forster, Bret Mossman).

A Kermadec Petrel spent 20 minutes flying around a biologist camp on Green Island, Kure Atoll in the Northwesterns on the evening of 19 May (Bret Mossman). It landed on the ground in the evening, was heard vocalizing in the area the following morning, and visuals were obtained again on 30 May (Bret Mossman). In an interesting historical footnote, Green Island was also visited a century ago—on 20 Apr 1923—by three dark-morph Kermadecs which are thought to have been prospecting birds (Pyle & Pyle 2017). The area near Kīlauea Point NWR on Kauaʻi has also served as a long-standing hotspot for this species: as many as four different individuals have frequented this spot annually since 2011 (Pyle & Pyle 2017). This spring, Kermadec Petrel was observed during a 23 Mar Kahala Point seawatch (Keane Sammon) and two were seen from Kāhili Beach Preserve on 3 Apr (David Hanna, Nick Gardner). Juan Fernández Petrel breeds solely on the 20 sq. mi. island of Alejandro Selkirk, ~500 mi. west of mainland Chile. The rest of the year it can be found at sea in the Eastern Tropical Pacific, with Hawaiian waters perhaps the northern extent to its wanderings. This season, Juan Fernández Petrels were observed 26 and 27 Apr from Upolu Point on Hawaiʻi Island (Lance Tanino). A Black-winged Petrel was seen during a seawatch from Punaluʻu Harbor, Hawaiʻi Island on 2 May (Aaron Zhou). Nine Black-winged Petrels were reported from a cruise ship heading to Kahului, Maui on 19 May (Mike Jones). Cook’s Petrel was reported twice near Kauaʻi this spring: once during a Kahala Point seawatch on 24 Mar (Keane Sammon) and another during a 5 May pelagic out of Port Allen (Adrian Burke, Keane Sammon, Ben Cole, Julien Ueda, Jillian Soller, Tyler Connell).

There was a smattering of Buller’s Shearwater reports in the Southeastern Hawaiian Islands starting in late April, which matched the expected migration window of this species from New Zealand’s Poor Knights Islands to the broader Pacific Ocean (Pyle & Pyle 2017). Lone Buller’s Shearwaters were reported west of Hawaiʻi Island on 22 Apr (Lance Tanino, Donna Albert) and from Upolu Point at its northern tip on 26 Apr (Lance Tanino), from Oʻahu’s Makapuʻu Point on 11 May (Chris Parsons), and from Kauaʻi’s Port Allen on 24 May (Adrian Burke). Three individuals were reported during a seawatch the following day at Kahala Point on the northeastern part of Kauaʻi (Adrian Burke, Keane Sammon). In the Hawaii Region, Christmas Shearwater primarily breeds in the Northwesterns, though a small population exists across the various offshore islets scattered among the Main Islands (Pyle & Pyle 2017). This spring, two Christmas Shearwaters were reported 30km west of Hawaiʻi Island on 20 Mar (Michael Lang). Hawaii-endemic Newell’s Shearwater breeds primarily on Kauaʻi, and sightings in the southeastern part of the archipelago are somewhat rare. Newell’s Shearwater was reported twice near Hawaiʻi Island this spring: the first during a Punaluʻu seawatch on 2 May (Aaron Zhou) and the second on a Kona pelagic on 4 May (Mandy Talpas, Reginald David, Derek Nunes, William Shaffer).

Frigatebirds through Falcons

Kauaʻi’s celebrated Magnificent Frigatebird was found again at Kīlauea Point NWR on 4 May following a gap of nearly half a year (Adrian Burke, Keane Sammon). Originally picked out from the scores of Great Frigatebirds sailing above the refuge on 17 Aug 2023 (David Sibley), this bird was not only the first of its species known to have graced the Hawaiian Islands, it was also only the second-ever occurrence west of the West Coast of the United States. The bird was reported again several times between 23 and 28 May (Keane Sammon, Kim C., Heidi Belinsky). Nazca Booby was seen twice in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands this spring: at Nihoa on 5 Apr (Rachel Rounds) and at Tern Island on 10 May (Bret Mossman). Formerly considered a subspecies of Masked Booby until its elevation to full species status in 2000, Nazca breeds in the tropical East Pacific (Pyle & Pyle 2017).

The Great Blue Heron which initially appeared at Maui’s Keālia Pond NWR on 8 Feb continued there until 12 Mar (Alex Wang, Nathaniel Watkins, Jim Pea, Ashley Bens). In a striking turn of events, the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands hosted three Gray Herons this spring. The first was discovered on Kure Atoll on 28 Mar and was seen multiple times before ultimately being found dead on 11 Apr (Brianne Bishop, Michelle Smith). Thus, the pair of Gray Herons which were seen at the water catchment on Midway Atoll on 2 and 4 Apr (Jonathan Plissner, Chris Forster) involved different individuals than the Kure bird, despite the fact that only one of the herons was seen on 3 Apr (Zach Matchinski), 6 Apr (Jonathan Plissner, Chris Forster), and 8 Apr (Jonathan Plissner). The first-ever confirmed observation of Gray Heron in the Hawaii Region occurred on Kure Atoll 14–30 Apr 2011 and also involved two individuals (Parish 2012; Pyle & Pyle 2017). An additional two ambiguous reports of an Ardea species (of a bird on Lehua Jun-Sep 2000 and a bird at Tern Island 20–22 Sep 1988) could have pertained to either Gray Heron or Great Blue Heron. A Snowy Egret was reported at Hawaiʻi Island’s ʻAimakapā Pond on 24 Mar (Rick Tayor) but was never seen again.

White-faced Ibis was reported at Hawaiʻi Island’s Kaloko-Honokōhau NHP on 3 Mar (Tim Kurtz).

On Maui, one ibis stayed at Keālia Pond NWR 29 Apr–10 May (Juan G., Nathaniel Watkins, Mark Gordon, Nicholas Seefeldt, Mark Gordon, Johnny Kozol, Bonnie Martin). Up to four were reported from Oʻahu’s Pearl Harbor NWR 3 Mar–22 May (Richard May, Michael Young, Acemore Moore, Richard Rowlee, Kevin Coleman, Anna Vallery, Nicholas Minnich, Calvin Grigal, Kurt Pohlman, Chad Wilhite, Olivia Wang, Daniel Whitmore). The male Belted Kingfisher at Hawaiʻi Island’s Lokowaka Pond continued there through 18 Mar (Kelly Kozar, Chris Brown, Richard Rowlee, Christian Reynolds, Kevin Burke, Karen Winstead, Carl Winstead, Deborah Rivel, Kathy Jackson, Laura Erickson, Judy Walker, Gordon Payne, Erik Bruhnke, Deborah Linde, Michael Carion, Nicole Carion, Jay Robinson, Lance Tanino, Gregg Koper, Sam Preer).

Peregrine Falcon was observed with prey in talons at Midway Atoll on 29 Mar (Sarah Donahue). This is likely the same individual which was spotted there on several occasions in Feb. On Hawaiʻi Island, a bird was seen several times in the vicinity of Honuʻapo: on 5 Mar it was actively hunting Black Noddies (Louie Dombrowski) but on 27 Mar it was merely cruising by (David Armstrong, Thane Pratt). Peregrine Falcon was also observed on 10 Apr (Silas Pelkey) at Puʻu Huluhulu on Saddle Road. Oddly, reports of peregrines were absent from Oʻahu this spring, despite Honolulu having gained notoriety as a hotspot for the falcons in recent years.

Passerines

Red-billed Leiothrix, native to southeast Asia, was introduced to the Hawaiian Islands by the Hui Manu Society from 1917 to 1936 as a stand-in for the native forest birds which had largely vanished from the lowlands (Pyle & Pyle 2017). By the 1970s, the introduced leiothrix was considered extirpated on Kauaʻi, but breeding populations remain fully established on Oʻahu, Maui, and Hawaiʻi Island. Lānaʻi, however, did not see reports of the species until recently, when multiple birds were heard counter-singing on Lānaʻi Hale on 21 and 22 May (Adrian Burke). Chestnut Munia was introduced to the Hawaiian Islands from Asia in the 1930s and is well-established on Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, and Maui. The first regular detections on Hawaiʻi Island, however, began recently, in 2015, along the Hāmākua Coast. This spring, sightings in the area were again centered around Pepeʻekeo: three birds were seen at the railroad on 15 Apr and up to six individuals were reported on 21 May (Sherman Wing).

Midway Atoll’s White Wagtail continued at the brackish seep this spring. It was observed on 2 Mar (Calvin Grigal), 8 Mar (Jonathan Plissner, Chris Forster), and 25 Mar (Chris Forster). This bird, present since autumn, was the Hawaii Region’s first-ever White Wagtail. The species is native to Eurasia and shows up along the Pacific Coast of North America as a vagrant; however, records in the central Pacific are exceedingly sparse: this bird, along with a separate individual photographed on Oʻahu in fall of 2023, constitute the only two such records to date.

Descended from a founding flock of Asiatic finches, the famed Hawaiian honeycreepers diversified into a stunning array of over fifty species. However, as island endemics with limited ranges and small populations to begin with, these birds are as every ounce as vulnerable as they are spectacular. Already two thirds of the islands’ passerine diversity has been lost to foreign threats, and the trajectories of several additional species now bend precipitously towards the same fate. In recent years, mosquito-borne avian malaria has wreaked particular havoc against the native honeycreepers as warming temperatures have allowed the introduced insects to encroach upon higher-elevation refugia previously too cold to harbor them.

The most critically endangered of these is the Kauaʻi-endemic ʻAkikiki. Historically distributed island-wide, a suite of contemporary introduced threats caused severe range contraction and population declines. In July of 2023, state agencies announced that only five individuals were known to persist in the wild (Dennison 2023). This spring, the banded ʻAkikiki known as “Pakele” was observed on her territory on the ʻAlakaʻi Plateau on 5 Mar (Julien Ueda) and 6 Mar (Tyler Connell). On 7 Mar, she was noted as calling frequently as she foraged alone (Kadynn Hatfield, Ryan Rodriguez).

Palila, the last remaining member of the original 16 “finch-billed” honeycreepers, was once distributed on multiple islands but is now confined to dry, native forest on the slopes of Mauna Kea on Hawaiʻi Island. This spring, the species was reported almost weekly at its namesake Palila Discovery Trail throughout Mar and Apr, though aside from the ten birds reported on 15 Apr (Bryan Shirota), observations uniformly pertained to three or fewer individuals (m. ob.). Birders venturing higher up the mountain (Thomas Ford-Hutchinson, Bruce Aird, Edward Paxton) had similar numbers in Mar and Apr: a maximum of four Palila were detected among old-growth māmane trees on 25 Mar (Lance Tanino, Luanne Johnson, Paul Banko). There are thought to be only about 300 individuals of this species left.

ʻAkekeʻe, a Kauaʻi-endemic honeycreeper, uses its crossed bill to pry open the buds of the ʻōhiʻa lehua in search of arthropods. The species declined by 98% between 2000 and 2012, and the most recent estimates put the global population at around 638 individuals (Paxton et al., 2022). This spring, ʻAkekeʻe was reported from the ʻAlakaʻi Swamp Trail on 7 and 10 Apr (Tyler Connell). These sightings involved two flyover birds and one perched, singing individual, respectively. Birds were also observed with relative frequency along the Mōhihi-Waiʻalae Trail between 7 Apr and 24 May (Julien Ueda). Given the lack of successful breeding in captivity for ʻAkekeʻe, landscape-level mosquito suppression via the Wolbachia incompatible insect technique will be particularly important for this species as well as other forest birds critically threatened by avian malaria (Paxton et al. 2022, Birds Not Mosquitoes). Along with ʻAkikiki and Kiwikiu, ʻAkekeʻe is forecast to go extinct in the wild within the next decade if current mosquito-driven population declines are not arrested (Paxton et al., 2022).

Saffron Finch, somewhat incipient on Maui since the first report in Feb 2010 (Pyle & Pyle 2017), continued to maintain its foothold on the island. As in prior seasons, sightings were particularly dense around Kīhei and Wailea (m. ob.). A single Saffron Finch was reported on 3 Apr (Tony Sirna) near Hāna on the far eastern end of the island, where a pair had been observed previously. Two birds were also reported from mauka Haʻikū on 8 Apr (Jon Pile) and from the Peahi Reservoir on 30 May (Chery Stavana).

Citations

Agreement for the Conservation of Albatross and Petrels. “Wisdom, the world’s oldest known Laysan Albatross, still has it – engaging in mutual displays into her 70s.” Accessed 31 Aug 2024. https://www.acap.aq/latest-news/wisdom-the-worlds-oldest-known-laysan-albatross-still-has-it-engaging-in-mutual-displays-into-her-70s?highlight=WyJ3aXNkb20iLCJ3aXNkb20ncyJd.

Birds Not Mosquitoes. Accessed 3 Mar 2024. https://www.birdsnotmosquitoes.org/

Dennison, D. “Only Five ʻAkikiki Left in Mountains of Kauaʻi and Their Chances of Survival are Slim.” Department of Land and Natural Resources. 13 Jul 2023. https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/blog/2023/07/13/nr23-114/

eBird: An online database of bird distribution and abundance. Accessed 10 Sep 2024. ebird.org

National Weather Service. 2024a. “Intense Heavy Rain and Flooding Across Kauai–April 2024.” Accessed 9 Sep 2024. https://www.weather.gov/hfo/Kauai_20240412

National Weather Service. 2024b. “Unusual Late Season Kona Low Drenches Portions of the Hawaiian Islands.” Accessed 8 Sep 2024. https://www.weather.gov/hfo/KonaLowMay2024PNS

Paxton, E. H., M. Laut, S. Enomoto, M. Bogardus. 2022. Hawaiian forest bird conservation strategies for minimizing the risk of extinction: Biological and biocultural considerations. Hawai‘i Cooperative Studies Unit Technical Report HCSU-103. University of Hawai‘i at Hilo, Hawaii, USA. 125 pages. http://hdl.handle.net/10790/5386

Parish, J. 2012. Annual report for Kure Atoll State Wildlife Sanctuary, Summer 2011. Department of Forestry and Wildlife. Honolulu, HI.

Pyle, R. L., and P. Pyle. 2017. The Birds of the Hawaiian Islands: Occurrence, History, Distribution, and Status. B. P. Bishop Museum, Honolulu, HI, U.S.A. Version 2 (1 January 2017). http://hbs.bishopmuseum.org/birds/rlp-monograph

Report processed by Andrew Keaveney, 18 Sep 2024.