Maui Nui Forest Users

A recent news release from DLNR notes that five ʻakikiki from Kauaʻi will be traveling to a breeding program here on Maui. The birds are from a field site in the mountains of Kauaʻi that has seen a drastic decline in the number of ʻakikiki in recent years. The decline is thought to be due to the increased presence of mosquitoes at the site. Certain mosquito species carry avian malaria, a disease deadly to the native forest birds of Hawaiʻi. There are other populations of ʻakikiki on Kauaʻi that remain in the wild, and while the five birds from this particular location are in the breeding program, partners are looking for ways to reduce mosquitoes in the birds’ home forests. For full details, see the news release at the link below.

https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/blog/2021/11/12/nr21-201/