An endangered native bird has been found on Maunakea for the first time in nearly 70 years.
University of Hawaii at Hilo researchers announced today that they located an ‘ua‘u — a seabird also called the Hawaiian petrel — at a nesting site on Maunakea in May, the first time one has been recorded on the mauna since 1954.
The ‘ua‘u is a federally endangered species mostly found around the Haleakala crater on Maui, but other populations exist on other islands.
On the Big Island, the birds largely nest on Mauna Loa. According to the National Park Service, only 50 or 60 breeding pairs are believed to remain on the island.
Researchers first detected the Maunakea ‘ua‘u using sound recorders and thermal imagery in April on Maunakea lands managed by the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands. DHHL staff then discovered a burrow and set traps around the site to deter predators such as cats and mongoose.
“When we saw them for the first time it was almost a moment of disbelief,” said conservationist and UH-Hilo alumnus Bret Nainoa Mossman in a statement. “We had been looking for them for so long that they were kind of like this ghost that we were just chasing on the mauna. To actually see them, just like really connected the dots and really cemented how important what we were doing really is because no one else was looking for these birds for quite a long time.”
UH-Hilo researchers will continue to search for ‘ua‘u and other endangered birds on Maunakea through the end of the year.