LIHUE, Kauai (AP) — Fledgling native birds are taking flight at Kauai’s first predator-proof area as groups work to create a breeding colony.
LIHUE, Kauai (AP) — Fledgling native birds are taking flight at Kauai’s first predator-proof area as groups work to create a breeding colony.
The Garden Island reports eight Newell’s shearwater chicks were brought to the fenced area of the Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge in September and five remain under the care of a Pacific Rim Conservancy team.
Robby Kohley of the conservancy feeds the chicks a mixture of fish and squid by hand.
The team wants the birds to imprint on the area and return in three to five years to breed.
Project goals include restoring Crater Hill while creating a protected place for native birds that nest on the ground, like the Newell’s shearwater and Hawaiian petrel.
Conservation groups and federal agencies are collaborating on the project.