Kauaʻi Forest Bird Recovery Project Fundraising and Outreach Campaign

The Kauaʻi Forest Bird Recovery Project is starting an end-of-the-year fundraising and outreach campaign to help native birds recover their population.

Entitled, “Songs, Not Silence,” aka “Restore the Symphony in the Forest,” the project is aimed at helping restore the birds chorus to full strength.

The Kauaʻi Forest Bird Recovery Project is starting its fundraising and outreach campaign to help protect Kauaʻi’s forest bird species. PC: KFBRP

Even before the arrival of people, many of Kauaʻi’s forest bird species were occupying the forests, but over time they have been threatened by mosquito-borne avian malaria and other environmental threats. State officials say mosquito-disease control and rat trapping work is needed to help recover bird populations.

KFBRP staff needs funding for helicopter flights to remote locations, interns to help with research efforts, radio transmitters to help track the birds and their activities, mist nets to help catch them for tracking, sampling and disease screenings. They also need canisters with water and bags of alfalfa to help lure mosquitoes for control efforts.

In addition, funding is needed for research especially for the ʻAkekeʻe (honeycreeper) and Puaiohi (small Kauaʻi thrush), two critically endangered forest birds.

The ʻAkekeʻe exist only on Kaua’i and only 1,000 remain. Puaiohi numbers are also down to just 500 individuals in the wild. Mosquitoes and rats have contributed to their dwindling populations.