Abstract
The Po‘ouli, an endemic Hawaiian honeycreeper, was first discovered on the island of Maui in 1973.1 At that time the population was estimated to number less than 200 birds.1 Since its discovery, the species has declined to the point that surveys conducted between 1997 and 2000 estimated only three birds remained in the upland forests of east Maui,2 each occupying a geographically distinct home range. In 1999 a joint State and Federal Environmental Assessment (EA), prepared by the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources and the Fish and Wildlife Service, explored options for recovering this critically endangered species.3 Molecular techniques and morphometric data used to determine the gender of each bird suggested the group was comprised of two females and one male.4 Translocation of one female to the male’s home range was chosen as the most appropriate management option.
In April 2002, one of the two females was captured and translocated to the male’s home range. Radiotelemetry was used to monitor the bird’s movements for a total of 10 days. Within 24 hours after its release, biologists discovered that the bird had returned to its original home range. Subsequent tracking and observations revealed no evidence that it had developed any association with its male conspecific. In this instance, translocation followed by a hard release failed to create a socially interactive pair of Po‘ouli.
Literature Cited
1. Casey TLC, Jacobi JJD. A new genus and species of bird from the island of Maui, Hawaii (Passeriformes: Drepanididae). Occ Pap BP Bishop Museum. 1974;24:215–226.
2. Reynolds HH, Snetsinger TJ. The Hawaii rare bird search 1994–1996. Studies in Avian Biology. 2001;22:133–143.
3. Environmental Assessment for Proposed Management Actions to Save the Po‘Ouli. Pacific Islands Ecoregion, Honolulu, HI: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Hawaii Department of Land and Natural resources. 1999:52.
4. Groombridge JJ, et al. An attempt to recover the Po‘ouli by translocation and an appraisal of recovery strategy for bird species of extreme rarity. Biol Cons. 2004;118(3):365–375.