Breeding success for endangered bird

September 8, 2014

By LEE IMADA - Managing Editor (leeimada@mauinews.com) , The Maui News

San Diego Zoo Global photo

Six healthy palila nestlings, a "critically endangered" small native songbird, were bred in captivity at the San Diego Zoo Global's Maui Bird Conservation Center in the first full breeding season at the Olinda facility.

The oldest chicks are under 2 months old, but they all have passed the danger stage, according to Christina Simmons, public relations manager for San Diego Zoo Global. The center's goal is to bring species back from the brink of extinction.

"We have every confidence that they will grow into adulthood," she said in a phone interview Tuesday.

There are less than 1,000 palila left in the wild, said Bryce Masuda, San Diego Zoo Global program manager. Their lone habitat is the mamane and naio forests between 6,500 and 9,500 feet in elevation on the slopes of Mauna Kea on Hawaii Island, a state Department of Land and Natural Resources website said.

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Palila enjoy successful breeding season on Maui

UPDATED 10:32 PM HST Aug 22, 2014

Critically endangered palila bird finds help

MAKAWAO, Hawaii —If you've never seen a palila up close and personal, now's your chance. The small songbird with a golden-yellow head and greenish wings are only found on the Big Island in the wild. But now, the colorful birds are on Maui.

"This is the first year we are breeding palila at the Maui Bird Conversation Center and we've produced five chicks this year," said San Diego Zoo Global Research Coordinator Josh Kramer.

Animal care staff at the conservation center artificially incubated eggs laid by a pair of palila and hand-reared the offspring.

"These birds are easy to fall in love with and that's what brings me to work everyday to avoid extinction of these animals," said Kramer. "These animals never been seen in the wild. We would like to see it the other way around and enjoy them for generations."

Palila are highly dependent on the mamane tree. That's where they consume unripe seeds. Right now, palila are found in less than 5 percent of their historic area. Why? Primarily due to the loss of native dryland forest habitat and that's why conservation centers are helping to boost the population.

The Hawaii endangered bird conservation program is a part of the San Diego Zoo institute for conservation research. The goal is to bring species back from the brink of extinction.

Read more and watch video:

Golfer injured in bird attack sues the county

WAILUKU - A golfer who says he was attacked by a large bird at the Waiehu Municipal Golf Course is suing Maui County, alleging the county was negligent in failing to remove the animal from the course.

According to the lawsuit filed Tuesday in 2nd Circuit Court, Wailuku resident Ray Sakamura was attacked after teeing off on the second hole Jan. 26. He suffered substantial bodily injury, including a compression fracture of his L-4 vertebrae, the lawsuit says.

The animal that attacked him is described in the suit as a "large bird that had taken up residence" at the course pond.

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