Bewildered bird season
begins on Maui

Some young sea birds become
disoriented en route to the ocean

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By Gary T. Kubota
gkubota@starbulletin.com

WAILUKU >> On Maui it's the season to be on the lookout for grounded young seabirds who lost their way flying from their nesting grounds on Haleakala to the ocean.

Haleakala National Park officials have reported their first stranding of an endangered Hawaiian dark-rumped petrel.

Park biologist Cathleen Natividad Hodges said the petrel, or uau, was found in the grass at the Outrigger Wailea Resort by a bartender the night of Oct. 13. Hodges said the uau was released the next afternoon in Kihei.

The uau, estimated at 2,000 in numbers in the Hawaiian Islands, is the state's only endangered seabird species.

They live 8,000 feet or higher on the slopes of Haleakala, where they are less likely to become victims of predators, such as wildcats and mongooses.

Haleakala National Park is home to about 90 percent of the birds, though some also live on the Big Island and Kauai.

Scientists note that the uau and other young seabirds sometimes become disoriented as they leave their nests to fly to ocean feeding grounds in October and November, especially on dark nights when urban lights can disorient them.

The uau, black and white with black webbed feet and a wingspan of about 3 feet, may ground themselves after flying in circles and tiring.

Hodges said because of their short legs, the uau have difficulty taking off and require wind or a slope to begin their flight.

The uau kani, or wedge-tailed shearwaters, are gray and white seabirds that look similar to the uau but may be an inch or so larger. They are more plentiful than the dark-rumped petrels but can suffer the same disorientation and grounding.

Last year, more than 75 seabirds were retrieved from different areas on Maui, including Wailea, Kihei, Lahaina, Kaanapali, Kahului, Wailuku and the Upcountry.

Hodges said anyone finding grounded seabirds is asked to call the National Park Service on Maui, 264-5317, state forestry, 984-8100, or the Maui Humane Society, 877-3680.

Hodges said grounded seabirds should be placed in a covered, well-ventilated cardboard box and kept in a cool or shaded place.

She advised people not to give the bird food or water and to be careful when handling the bird because it may bite.

Hodges said trained wildlife specialists will inspect the bird for injuries and release it safely.

She said residents may help to reduce the likelihood of strandings by turning floodlights toward the ground.