Research for the Birds – Endangered Hawaiian Birds, That Is
At the request of the US Fish and Wildlife Service and State of Hawaii Division of Forestry and Wildlife, and in cooperation with the Biological Resources Division of U.S. Geological Survey, the San Diego Zoo’s Hawaii Endangered Bird Conservation Program has established a long-term conservation program to stem the extinction and promote the recovery of endemic Hawaiian birds.
Current goals of this long-standing program include 1) continuing the restoration program for the endangered Puaiohi by breeding this species in captivity and reintroducing birds to the wild in order to enhance the existing population in the Alaka`i Swamp, Kauai, 2) enhancing captive-breeding prospects for the `Alala by constructing new aviaries to accommodate the expansion of the flock and better manage the pairs during courtship, egg-laying and incubation, 3) continuing captive-breeding and management of the Nene to produce genetically diverse goslings for release to the wild, 4) propagating Palila to continue the pilot release effort on north Mauna Kea, and 4) collecting wild eggs and/or additional wild adults of the Maui Parrotbill, `Akiapola`au, and other on-the-brink species to develop captive propagation techniques and restoration programs.
Another key goal is to expand our environmental education program and outreach efforts.
