The Hawaiian islands are a refuge for overwintering migratory birds as well as an evolutionary marvel of diverse endemic bird species. Devoid of endemic land mammals (save the Hawaiian hoary bat), the islands were once richly covered with birds: forest birds, coastal waterbirds and shorebirds, and open ocean seabirds. Today, that status has changed.
According to the 2009 State of the Birds Report, “More bird species are vulnerable to extinction in Hawaiʻi than anywhere else in the United States. More than one-third of all U.S. federally listed bird species occur in Hawaiʻi and 71 bird species have gone extinct since humans colonized the islands in about 300 AD. At least 10 more birds species have not been seen in as long as 40 years and may also be extinct.”
The 2010 State of the Birds Report examined bird species vulnerability to climate change in the main biomes across the U.S. That assessment placed the Ocean biome (seabird species) and the Hawaiian Islands of highest concern. The 2014 Report’s “Watch List” includes 33 Hawaiian forest species, 23 of which are listed as endangered. With these conditions, it is not a surprise that Hawaiʻi is deemed the "extinction capital of the world".
In Hawaiʻi, Pacific Birds works on coastal wetlands.
Find more about our work in the 2024 Strategic Plan for Hawaiʻi Wetlands. The plan aims to guide the effective protection, restoration, and management of wetlands for the benefit of Threatened and Endangered (T&E) waterbirds, migratory shorebirds and waterfowl, human communities, ecosystems, and climate resilience in Hawaiʻi.
It prioritizes wetland sites and conservation actions to improve habitats for waterbirds and people, based on current and future conditions. It also includes detailed site narratives on wetland sites across the State.
Where We Work
