Carrot, a critically endangered ‘akikiki, is shown after being flown from Kauai to a conservation facility on Maui to protect it from avian malaria and prevent extinction of the species. — Photo courtesy DLNR
A critically endangered native bird found only on Kauai was transported to the Maui Bird Conservation Center in Olinda on Friday morning in hopes of saving the species from extinction.
Carrot, named for its orange leg band, is an ‘akikiki and the father of a chick, Erica, who was brought into human care in December, according to the state Department of Land and Natural Resources. For the past 10 days, a five-person field team has set up mist nets and used sound attraction to try and draw in Carrot and another bird, its offspring, believed to be the last remaining ‘akikiki in an area called Halehaha. The team spotted Carrot’s offspring — Abby, believed to be a male — but were unable to catch it.
The field team was comprised of Kauai Forest Bird Recovery Project staff Justin Hite and Tyler Winter, along with Sonia Vallochia from the Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project, Cara Throw from the DLNR/Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit Hawaii island avian disease program and bird care expert Peter Luscomb. In the final hours of their week-and-a-half-long search and rescue mission, they captured Carrot.
The bird was housed overnight at the field camp before pilot Chris Currier of Airborne Aviation arrived after dawn the next morning to transport Carrot by helicopter to Maui.
Jennifer Pribble and Brenden Scott of the Maui Bird Conservation Center met Currier at the Kahului Airport and drove Carrot to their Olinda facility, where he was given fluids, food, antiviral medication and a checkup before going into a 30-day quarantine. He is now the 37th ‘akikiki at the center, where they’ll remain, while agencies and organizations work to introduce incompatible male mosquitoes into critical forest bird habitats to suppress mosquito populations.
Carrot was transported to the Kahului Airport in a specially designed box. — Photo courtesy DLNR
‘Akikiki, a native honeycreeper found only on Kauai, have declined as malaria-carrying mosquitoes have moved into their territory.
“It’s also important to note that with only 40 birds left in the wild, every bird that we can bring safely into captivity to protect them from avian malaria will give the species a better chance of not going extinct,” said Lisa “Cali” Crampton, who leads the Kauai Forest Bird Recovery Project. “Carrot is particularly important because he has a proven track record of breeding, so hopefully he can teach some valuable behaviors to ‘akikiki born in captivity.”
Crampton said the survival of Carrot, Erica and Abby “might partly be luck of the draw, like why some people have still evaded COVID.” Their territory, which includes a couple of ridges, may get a little more wind and fewer mosquitoes. Or, perhaps they caught avian malaria but only a mild dose.
It’s possible the species could be extinct in the wild within a year before other birds can be rescued, according to DLNR.
“This decision was not easy to take; when possible we prefer to leave species in the wild,” Crampton said. “But the disappearance of the Halehaha population, which used to be the most numerous one, does not bode well for the remaining birds, and so at this point, the best course of action is to protect them in captivity until mosquitoes and avian malaria are controlled on the landscape over the next few years. After the threat of disease is mitigated, we plan to release ‘akikiki back into the wild. So, this is a temporary situation.”
Next spring, a partnership of conservation agencies hope to mount a mass ‘akikiki search and rescue mission to bring the last wild birds and their eggs to safety, DLNR said.
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September 03, 2022 at 10:36PM
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Endangered bird flown from Kauai to Maui conservation facility - Maui News
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