National Park Service
Wayward seabirds -- such as this 'ua'u, or petrel, fledgling
-- can get disoriented by urban lights and ground themselves on land.

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Maui officials
ask for help
saving fallen birds

Some sea birds become disoriented
in their first flight off the island

By Gary T. Kubota
Star-Bulletin

WAILUKU -- Haleakala National Park officials are seeking the public's help in retrieving grounded sea birds that become disoriented during their first flight off the island -- an annual problem in October and November.

One of them is the 'ua'u, or Hawaiian dark-rumped petrel, with the only known nesting population on the slopes of Haleakala.

Federal wildlife biologist Cathleen Hodges said public help is needed because many birds are unable to fly after being grounded and park officials cannot monitor their flights over a wide area.

Last year, the Park Service retrieved two 'ua'u on Maui. It also helped some 20 'ua'u Kani or wedge-tailed shearwater.

Though the number of retrievals seems to fluctuate, Hodges said, public awareness of the problem appears to be boosting the reporting of bird groundings.

Each October and November, young 'ua'u leave the nest at night and some become disoriented, attracted by bright urban lights rather than flying out to sea, she said.

And, Hodges noted, "we're expecting a lot of groundings because of no moon on Oct. 20."

The petrel, weighing 450 grams with black-and-white feathers and black webbed feet, has some ecological disadvantages. Its three-foot wing span enables it to fly long distances to the open sea and dive for food, feeding on squid. But on land, it's vulnerable.

Although the species has an estimated life span of 30 years, getting there is not easy.

The 'ua'u, whose name evokes the same sound the species emits when looking for a mate, returns to the same nests each year.

They dig burrows anywhere from three to 25 feet long on the ground, making them easy prey to alien predators, such as rats, Hodges said.

Their nests, once at sea level, are now found on the slopes between 8,000 feet and 10,000 feet, where there is less likelihood of predation.

The female lays only one egg a year, but what an egg it is: About 17 percent of her weight. For a 125-pound woman, it would be the equivalent of giving birth to a 21-pound baby.

"It's like going through a really, really intense labor," Hodges said.

The 'ua'u takes about 56 days to hatch the egg, considerably more than chickens, which incubate for under 30 days.

Both the male and female take turns sitting in the nest, then feed the youngster until it is twice the weight of an adult.

Then, the adults leave the nest for the open sea.

The fat fledgling is left to grow on its own until it has feathers and eventually loses enough weight for its first flight.

On Kauai, where urban lights disorient other birds, some 2,000 grounded 'a'o or Newell's shearwater are retrieved each year.

Hodges said those finding a bird should protect it from hazards such as cars, dogs and cats. She suggested putting it in a covered cardboard box and keeping it in a cool shaded place. Don't give the bird water or food, Hodges advised, and be careful when handling because it could bite.

Those finding birds are asked to call Haleakala National Park at 572-4492 or the state Division of Forestry and Wildlife, 871-4210, and leave a name and phone number.