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Two Hawaiian Birds Going Extinct

By greenexpander ⋅ October 18, 2007 ⋅  Email This Post ⋅  Print This Post ⋅ Post a comment

Two Hawaiian birds are in danger of toping the most endangered animals list, according to a conservationist group. A national bird protection group and a Hawaiian bird expert are petitioning the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to increase protection efforts on this two rare bird species. A petition has been issued by the American Bird Conservancy and Dr. Eric VanderWerf so that the akikiki and the akeke be protected under the Endangered Species Act.

The population of akikiki and akeke started their decline in 1970, these being the most endangered out of all the Hawaiian birds, threatened by loss of habitat and the invasion alien plants or predation by rats.

“Recent surveys show that the akikiki and the akeke’e are in serious trouble,” said George Fenwick, president of American Bird Conservancy. “The strongest available measures such as captive-breeding, fencing out and removal of invasive species, and listing under the Endangered Species Act, are all necessary to prevent these species from going extinct.”

The akikiki is categorized as Critically Endangered by the IUCN-World Conservation Union due to its extremely small and declining population and geographic range. The akeke’e is categorized as Endangered by the IUCN due to its small and declining geographic range and declines in habitat quality.

Based on a survey conducted in May, the akikiki population could be as low as 782 birds, a considerable decline from 7,000 members of the species in 1970. According to the same survey, the akeke population is estimated at 2,506 individuals , a decline from around 8,000 birds in 2000.

Hawaii is the top U.S. state for the number of endangered and threatened species with 329, and in extinctions - with over 1,000 plants and animals having disappeared since human colonization.

Several Hawaiian bird species, the Po’ouli and the Ou are assumed to have recently gone extinct before captive-breeding or other protection measures could be implemented.