Hawaii’s akikiki, in danger of extinction

The akikiki (Oreomystis bairdi) of Kauai, belonging to the family Fringillidae, is a member of the honeycreeper species from Hawaii. Currently, this native species is in critical danger of extinction.

As revealed by the Department of Land and Natural Resources in Hawaii, it is estimated that there are only five in the wild as stated by one of the members of the Kauai Forest Bird Recovery Project (KFBRP), Justin Hite. “We have suspended any attempts at bringing the last five of these birds into safety, as they are molting currently and capturing them is too stressful and would likely lead to their demise.”

Behind this critical situation are mosquitoes carrying avian malaria that are advancing to ever higher elevations, and into areas where specimens of the akikiki remain in their the last refuge, as a consequence of rising temperatures.

The number of breeding pairs has decreased since 2018, going from 27 in 2018 to just two in 2021. That gives a glimpse of just how fast the wild population is collapsing. However, efforts to keep the akikiki from disappearing completely are being carried out at bird conservation centers on Kaua’i and Maui, managed by the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.

This species is not the only one that is endangered in Hawaii. On the same island you can find the ‘akeke’e, while on the island of Maui you can find the kiwikiu. All of them could become completely extinct in the coming months. “They’re right on the verge of extinction,” DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) Administrator David Smith warns.

“They’ve reached the end of the slippery slope they’ve been on for decades. With temperatures increasing and the mosquitos getting further up into the mountains and bringing the deadly avian malaria with them, they’re just decimating these populations,” said Smith.

Bird egg rescue

According to CNN, the authorities managed to rescue ten eggs from the mountainous areas of Kauai this summer, where they remain in the bird conservation center along with 50 other akikiki in human care. The endangered birds are being kept safe at the centers until the threat of avian malaria is eliminated in the wild.