Farmers have erected scarecrows to chase birds from the taro patches.
Photo by Ken Sakamoto, Star-Bulletin

"I enjoy the darn things," he said. "Sure, you get angry at them, but you can't point to one bird and say, 'You're the guy.'"

Taro farmers and native birds have long co-existed, despite recent crop damage that has led some farmers to support moving some of the birds elsewhere.

In fact, the refuge was created largely because the fields provided ideal feeding and nesting habitat for four species of endangered Hawaiian water birds.

Coots, moorhens, stilts and koloa ducks once ranged throughout the state, except Lanai and Kahoolawe. But their numbers plummeted as coastal wetlands were lost to development and introduced grasses. Mongoose and other predators also took a toll. Moorhens are now found only on Kauai and Oahu, while coots and stilts also frequent Niihau.

Farmer Rodney Haraguchi also enjoys wildlife. Still, he objects to having the bulk of the endangered water bird population centered at Hanalei, a major taro-growing region. He advocates relocating some of the coots and moorhens, or hazing them from the fields during the months they cause the most damage.

Haraguchi and other refuge farmers say they've seen a big increase in both coots and moorhens. Refuge biologist Cris Dippel, who regularly conducts counts, agreed that moorhen use of the refuge is up, but said that doesn't mean the overall population has grown. Coot and stilt numbers appear to be way down, he said.

Still, it's hard to know exact numbers. If bird counts were done more often, he said, scientists could spot trends more quickly.

Dippel doesn't see relocation as a solution. Moving protected species requires a lengthy review, and it's likely only small numbers of birds would be affected.

Federal wetlands manager James Glynn said new taro fields at the Huleia refuge near Lihue may take some of the pressure off Hanalei. Endangered water birds already have been spotted in the small patches there.