Rat control
crucial in saving
rare poouli bird

'We are looking at extinction
of a species right in the eye,' says
one wildlife specialist

By Star-Bulletin staff

Scientists are urging government authorities to step up rat control in East Maui forests if the rare poouli bird is to be saved.

There are three known poouli, all wild in the East Maui forest.

Scientists were heartened recently with confirmation that the third bird is a male, thus providing hope for the future of the species.

The other two are females.

Scientists, at a recent meeting, concluded that rat control is essential because rats are predators of the poouli.

Currently, rat bait stations are spread out in rough terrain.

But scientists say the practice is costly and poses risks to health, safety and the environment.

There are only three known poouli, two females and a male, all wild in the East Maui forest.

Aerial application of rat bait would be more cost-effective and better in the long-term for protecting the birds, the scientists said. But they said they need more government money for aerial application.

The state Department of Land and Natural Resources' Division of Forestry and Wildlife has not yet decided whether to bring the birds into captivity or to allow them to try to breed in the rain forest.

One idea is to build forest aviaries in the wild and relocate the birds there to optimize breeding.

If a poouli nest is ever found, the scientists said, eggs should be collected for artificial incubation, with the chicks being reared in captivity to be released into the wild later.

Any attempts to remove the poouli or eggs from their natural habitats for 45 days or more would require additional approvals, including public hearings.

"Though many of Hawaii's forest birds have gone extinct in the past, never before has anyone been challenged to recover a bird species whose known population is less than a handful," Forestry and Wildlife Administrator Michael Buck said.

"And without a known breeding pair in the wild, we are looking at the extinction of a species right in the eye."

Poouli are about 5 inches long and brown to dark gray. The poouli draws its name from the fact that it has a black mask across the face.

Poouli is Hawaiian for "black mask."