Archived News

School children from Wilcox Elementary School on the Hawaiian Island of Kaua’i released five fledgling Newell’s Shearwaters or ‘A‘o Puffinus newelli out to sea this month as part of the annual E Ho‘opomaika‘i ‘ia na Manu ‘A‘o (Cultural Release of the Native Newell’s Shearwater) event.  The birds, which had been rehabilitated by the Save Our Shearwaters programme (SOS), were offered a pule (prayer) by Kupuna (Elder) Leilani Kaleiohi prior to their release.

Newell's Shearwater, photographed by Eric Vanderwerf

A Newell's Shearwater fledgling gets released, photographed by Elizabeth Ames

 The event is held every year by the Kaua‘i Endangered Seabird Recovery Project (KESRP) and Save Our Shearwaters to increase awareness about Kaua‘i’s shearwaters.  The Endangered ‘A‘o is endemic to the Hawaiian islands; Kaua‘i is the last main refuge of the species with an estimated 90% of the World population.

The birds face threats in their breeding grounds from introduced predators such as feral cats and pigs and rats, invasive plants and power line collisions.  Fledglings leaving their nest are particularly vulnerable to light attraction as they make their way towards the sea.

“As they near the coast after leaving their burrows in the interior of Kaua’i many are attracted to bright lights which they then circle until they become exhausted and eventually crash to the ground (a phenomena [sic] termed “fall-out”).  Once on the ground they are extremely unlikely to survive - they get run over by cars or eaten by dogs and cats - unless they are rescued and handed over to the Save Our Shearwaters program.”

A second release event is planned for today.

The Kaua’i Endangered Seabird Recovery Project is a State of Hawaii Department of Forestry and Wildlife project, administered by the Pacific Co-operative Studies Unit of the University of Hawaii.  The Save Our Shearwaters Program is housed at the Kaua’i Humane Society and supported by the Kaua’i Island Utility Cooperative.

Click here  and here to read more on this year's release ceremony.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 29 October 2013