A Glimpse into Hawaii’s Vanishing Aviary Ranked as ‘Functionally Extinct’
Hawaii was once home to various beautiful but endemic bird species, but unfortunately the birds in this place now face a very critical situation. Most of these bird gems are already under the very real threat of going extinct. Some have even been ranked as ‘functionally extinct,’ which means that the number of these birds in the wild has reduced significantly, and they cannot perform the functions of their existence in the ecosystem. So, let me explore the issues that these feathered friends go through.
The Akikiki is native bird of Kauai Hawaii among the birds that are announced functionally extinct. The Oʻahu ʻŌʻō bird that used to prevail in the Oʻahu forests has reduced significantly and is currently quite rare. It has been silenced, indicating the state of the ecology of the island it used to inhabit. This beautiful bird has been threatened out of existence mainly by habitat loss, the introduction of predators, and dis, among other factors.
The ʻAkikiki: functionally extinct Jewel
The ʻAkikiki1 is a small olive green honeycreeper currently struggling to exist on the island of Kaua’i. It has declined sharply over the years because of avian malaria that has affected the birds – a disease picked from mosquitoes. The government and conservationists are putting much effort into fighting this bird’s killers, vaccines, and insect repellent.
The Kauaʻi ʻOʻō: Vanishing Melody
Like the Oʻahu ʻŌʻō, the Kaua’i ʻŌʻō has a severely reduced population size. What used to be such a recurring feature of this part of the island is only seen and hardly heard nowadays. However, hopeful efforts such as captive breeding and efforts towards recovery of the lost habitats have been initiated to ensure that they do not go extinct.
The ʻAkekeʻe: A Silent Sentinel
The ʻAkekeʻe2, another Kauaʻi honeycreeper, has been doomed, as has the ʻAkohekohe. These species are endangered because of the loss of their natural habitats and predation. It is strange to anyone who has seen its beautiful nesting grounds that conservationists are working to help it regain its home while avoiding other species’ encroachment.
Hope for the Future?
It is bad news for these Hawaiian birds, but it is not terrible since there’s always a possibility. These endangered species have continued to face threats and are being protected by various conservation organizations, researchers, and inhabitants of the area. The organizations are also determined to reintroduce the birds through processes such as;
- habitat rehabilitation,
- artificial breeding and
- eradicating some fatal diseases.
Steps should be taken to prevent the extinction of such beautiful and inestimable animals. Hawaii’s birds like Elepaio and Akeke’e perhaps will only have a bright future in another world where wastage is minimal and people transverse the bridges created to canopy its great chunks of land.
