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Post by Melanie on Oct 30, 2005 23:10:50 GMT
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Post by Melanie on Oct 30, 2005 23:12:35 GMT
 In Sunday's NY Times:
The people who try to save endangered species in Hawaii are immune to despair. They have to be, to keep doing what they do. They dangle on ropes from 3,000-foot sea cliffs on Molokai to brush pollen on a flower whose only natural pollinator - some unknown bird or insect - has died out. They trudge into remote forests to play taped bird calls, hoping that a survivor of a vanished species will reply. Or they capture and tend one small bird, old for its kind and missing an eye, then spend fruitless months searching for another to be its mate.
That bird, a po'ouli, the last known member of its genus and species, died in its cage on Maui on Nov. 26. The news, briefly noted in the papers, was another milestone in a long-running environmental catastrophe that is engulfing the islands.
Hawaii does not look like an ecological disaster area. It's too lush and sunny, too green and blue. But the state's natural splendor masks a brutal, often desperate battle against extinction. The islands' native animals and plants, many found nowhere else in the world, evolved in splendid isolation for millenniums. But in the two centuries since Captain Cook, their numbers have plunged. Of the more than 1,200 animals and plants on the federal list of threatened and endangered species, one-fourth - 317 - are Hawaiian.
Development, disease and predation have taken a ruinous toll. Aggressive invaders like rats, mongooses, pigs, mosquitoes and habitat-choking exotic plants now dominate the lowlands. Many endemic species have retreated up the mountains, clinging to patches of protected land - islands within islands ... The po'ouli's demise is a signal that Hawaii's imperiled species have received nowhere near the attention and money needed to match the immensity of the problem. Teams of biologists from federal and state agencies and private organizations manage species-protection programs with budgets totaling in the mere hundreds of thousands of dollars, cobbling together grants and annual allocations that are continually subject to being cut off, and begging for private donations of money and time.
But does the government care?
Gov. Linda Lingle of Hawaii proudly points to her budget request for $4 million to fight invasive species, noting that this unimpressive sum is larger than any the state has spent before. The state, in fact, has starved its Department of Land and Natural Resources, which operates on less than 1 percent of the state's $7.9 billion operating budget and, according to an analysis by Environment Hawaii, an advocacy group, recently had a grossly disproportionate share of staff positions eliminated in a cost-cutting drive ... The captive-breeding program that tried desperately to save the po'ouli, run by the San Diego Zoo, has had several other successes, hatching and rearing the 'alala, or Hawaiian crow, which is extinct in the wild, and the state bird, the nene goose. Dozens of puaiohi, small thrushes, have been returned to the Alakai swamp on Kauai.
But the federal portion of the program's $920,000 budget has been cut for the 2006 fiscal year, from $550,000 to zero. Where the money might come from to keep the program going is anybody's guess.
www.the-hamster.com/mtype/archives/2004/12/ |
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Post by Melanie on Oct 30, 2005 23:16:19 GMT
Trying to Prevent Extinction With GIS
Saving the Po'ouli--A Critically Endangered Hawaiian Forest Bird
The Po'ouli, or black-faced honeycreeper, is probably the world's rarest bird with only three known individuals.
On May 4, 2002, a small group of scientists working for the Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project, Hawaii, caught and translocated one of the world's most endangered birds. This was done in a last ditch effort to save the Po'ouli, a critically endangered Hawaiian forest bird, with a known population of only three individuals. It was a culmination of many years of work by several state and federal agencies, and GIS was an integral part of its success.
The Po'ouli, or black-faced honeycreeper, is found in an extremely rugged and remote area of rainforest on the windward slopes of Maui, Hawaii. This area is between 5,000 and 7,000 feet in elevation and averages more than 365 inches of rain per year. At the time of the species discovery in 1973, there were thought to be roughly 140 individuals. Its population has been in a steady decline, and since 1997 only three birds have remained. Each of these birds lives in separate areas of the forest, and close field monitoring has indicated that there is little chance of natural pair formation. By 1999, with no new individuals, and no sign that the three birds would interact and breed, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the State of Hawaii Division of Natural Resources reached a decision to move one of the two females into the lone male's home range. The task of carrying out this translocation attempt was assigned to the Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project.
To accomplish this task it was necessary to catch one of these females using mist nets. Trying to catch an individual bird is always difficult. The solution was to map the birds' home ranges using past field sightings. Marked sightings in the field dating back to 1998 were collected with a Trimble Pro XR GPS unit. Unmarked sightings were approximated in ArcView 3.2 using bearing and distance measurements from fixed locations in the field based on recorded field observations. The scientists then used the Animal Movement Analysis extension to ArcView to identify home ranges for each of the birds. This extension was produced by the United States Geological Survey Alaska Biological Science Center and contains a wide range of functions useful in the analysis of animal movement. The team created home ranges using the kernel analysis function. Field biologists then used this analysis to place nets, which maximized efforts to capture two of the three remaining Po'ouli.
Radiotelemetry platforms were constructed months in advance. The team tested its method by radio tracking people within the Po'ouli home ranges. The plan was to first capture the male Po'ouli and attach a radio transmitter to his back. Using radiotelemetry and Location of a Signal (LOAS) software, his movements throughout each day could be monitored in the field. LOAS uses the coordinates of tracking location and bearing data from that location to angulate the position of a radio transmitter. It allows the input of multiple bearings in spreadsheet form and the export of locational data as ArcView shapefiles. This information would be used to locate the male in the field once the female was captured and brought to the male's home range. The female would then have a radio transmitter attached to her and would be released near the location of the male. It was hoped that if the two Po'ouli came into contact, the female might stay in the male's territory or the male would follow the female back to her home range.
This map shows the two Po'ouli home ranges and triangulated positions of the female Po'ouli as she made her way home after release.
The team's effort first focused on catching the male for transmitter attachment. Although the male was sighted frequently, he still had not been caught after the team had spent 30 days in the field. The team then decided to focus on catching the female. This was done to complete the translocation before the end of the suspected breeding season. Since the male's daily movements could not be traced by radiotelemetry, the release site of the female would have to be determined by using maps created in ArcView with the Animal Movement Analyst extension if the male could not be located visually. The team created maps using the kernel analysis function with the most recent sightings of the male Po'ouli. Further fieldwork was scheduled, and the team relocated to the female's home range.
Again, the team used home range maps created from the female's resight history to help place mist nets in the female's territory. The team was concerned about the female's well-being because she had not been seen for more than eight months. However, luck was on their side; after 12 days, the female was caught. After taking a few quick measurements, the team placed her in a transport container and hiked 2.5 kilometers to the male's home range. After a one hour and 15-minute hike, the team fitted the bird with a .8 gram radio transmitter and placed her in a holding cage where she could be monitored prior to release. After the team rechecked the transmitter signal and receiver frequencies, they carried the female into the male's home range. Despite focused effort, the male could not be found. So the team decided to release the female based on kernel analysis of dusk sightings of the bird during the previous three weeks. Upon release, the female was radio tracked after sunset to determine whether or not she roosted in the male's territory overnight. Previous translocation and release work with other species indicated that there was a high probability that she would immediately fly back to her home range.
The following morning radio tracking began before dawn. The female's signal was still being received in the male's home range, but shortly after sunrise she began to move. Telemetry results show that the female stayed in the male's home range until approximately 10:00 a.m. Throughout the rest of the day, however, radio tracking confirmed that she was heading directly back to her own territory. The radio tracking team managed to track her progress and was able to triangulate her position several times during her return. Within 24 hours of her capture, the female Po'ouli was back in her original home range, covering a distance of more than 1.7 kilometers and an elevation gain of greater than 1,000 feet. There was no indication that the two birds ever came into contact with each other.
Although the female's return was obviously disappointing, there was still considerable work to be done. Radio tracking continued for the next nine days until the transmitter battery expired. The data collected was continuous and on a much shorter temporal scale than other data collected previously for this species. It contributes greatly, however, to the knowledge of this species and will play an important role in future work. Since no breeding pair was formed, a new strategy is being formed to save this species. It seems likely that the next step for this species will be to try and breed them in captivity. If so, then GIS will also contribute to this next phase of the recovery effort. Information gathered during the translocation will be used to recapture these individuals.
www.esri.com/news/arcnews/winter0203articles/saving-the-poouli.html |
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Post by Melanie on Oct 30, 2005 23:17:57 GMT
Po`ouli
(Melamprosops phaeosoma)
Description
The Po`ouli (Melamprosops phaeosoma) is one of five endangered Hawaiian honeycreepers that inhabit the rainforests of east Maui. The Po`ouli is a stocky bird, about 5 1 /2 inches long, whose Hawaiian name means "black face," referring to its dark facial feathers. The cheeks and breast feathers are white, turning a light red-brown toward the posterior. The top of the head is greyish, turning to dark brown on the back. The Po`ouli was discovered in 1973 by three University of Hawaii students while they conducted field work in the Hana rainforest. Molecular studies indicate that the Po`ouli belongs to an ancient lineage of honeycreepers. It is so unique in its form and behavior that it has been placed in its own genus, Melamprosops.
Habitat
Although fossil remains have been found on the dry south slope of Haleakala, indicating that the Po`ouli was previously more widespread, it is currently restricted to the upper elevations of east Maui's rainforests, from 4,650- 6,680 feet. All of the known birds occur within the Hanawi Natural Area Reserve and adjacent portions of Haleakala National Park and the Ko`olau Forest Reserve. These areas receive an average of 350 inches of rain annually. The terrain is steep and thickly vegetated. While some alien weeds are present, the area is dominated by native Hawaiian plants such as the `ohi`a tree and `olapa.
Life History
The Po`ouli is a secretive bird that spends a great deal of its time in the native understory and brush of the rainforest, making it difficult to detect and observe. It gleans leaves and bark in search of the insects, spiders, and small snails upon which it feeds. The few nests that have been observed contained 1-2 chicks during the months of April-June. These nests were built of twigs and mosses and were located in leafy branches of `ohi`a trees. Po`ouli commonly forage with small groups of other Hawaiian forest birds such as the endangered Maui Parrotbill and more common species such as the Maui Creeper or `alauahio.
Threats
When first discovered in 1973, the total population of Po`ouli was felt to be fewer than 200 birds. Popula- tions of so few individuals are extremely vulnerable to any threat, especially when they are restricted to such a limited area. Unfortu- nately, the threats to these and other Hawaiian forest birds are not few. Almost all native forest birds are restricted to elevations above 4,900 feet. Possibly one of the most telling explanations for this restricted distribution is that introduced mosquitos, which transmit avian malaria, are common below this elevation. Avian diseases such as malaria and pox virus were probably one of the most critical reasons for the devastating declines of perching birds in Hawai`i during the 1980s.
Destruction of habitat by pigs, goats, and other introduced ungulates has had devastating impacts on all native habitats in Hawai`i. Feral pigs have had direct impacts on native forest birds by destroying understory vegetation, spreading alien weeds, and creating mosquito breeding areas from their rooting and wallowing in wet forests. For birds such as the Po`ouli, which specialize in foraging in the understory, disturbance by pigs has been a major threat. Introduced predators such as the black and Polynesian rat, the small Indian mongoose, and the feral house cat are all known to be predators of Hawai`i's native birds. The great abundance of black rats in most Hawaiian forests, as well as their tree-dwelling habit, indicate they may be a primary threat to the Po`ouli.
Introduced forest birds have over the years encroached into the habitats utilized by the Po`ouli and other native forest birds. These alien species often harbor and spread introduced diseases, and compete for food and nest sites with the native Hawaiian species. The very small population size of the Po`ouli compounds all of these threats and makes them more vulnerable to naturally occurring disasters. In addition, small populations typically show the negative effects of inbreeding, such as smaller clutch size and lowered resistance to disease. It has been shown that individuals of a given species that are derived from very small populations do not survive as well as individuals that exist in large populations.
Current Status
The Po`ouli is now believed to number only three individuals. These birds exist in three distinct home ranges and do not appear to interact with one another. Scientists believe these birds are made up of one male and two females, and that there may be a chance to save this species if appropriate action is taken now. The Hawai`i Department of Land and Natural Resources and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are currently seeking public input on what the appropriate action should be.
www.hawaii.gov/dlnr/dofaw/pubs/endgrspp/ |
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Post by Melanie on Oct 30, 2005 23:24:12 GMT
 www.hawaiinews.com/gallery/slideshow.php?set_albumName=2003
One of last remaining
po‘ouli is captured for
breeding effort
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Associated Press
One of the last three po'ouli birds known to exist has been captured and taken to a breeding center on Maui.
Officials hope to capture a mate for the female bird and begin the reproduction process in hopes of saving the species.
Six members of the Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project team captured the bird Thursday afternoon in the Hanawi Natural Area Reserve on Maui. It was taken to the Maui Bird Conservation Center at Olinda.
"Saving this species from extinction is a monumental challenge," said Peter Young, head of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.
COURTESY PHOTO / 2002
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He cited strong collaboration between state agencies and the Zoological Society of San Diego. The society operates the Maui breeding center and the Keauhou Bird Conservation Center on the Big Island.
The recovery team has been trying to capture a po'ouli since February 2003. The decision to bring the last three birds into a captive breeding program was made in 2003 after repeated efforts to bring them together in the wild failed.
The team plans to take a few days off to regroup and see how the bird adapts to captivity, said Kirsty Swinnerton, project coordinator. "Then, we'll be back in the field, trying to locate and capture the other two birds."
"Establishing a breeding pair of po'ouli may be the most challenging task we've ever attempted," said Alan Lieberman, avian conservation coordinator for the Zoological Society. He said several other Hawaiian bird species have been successfully bred and reintroduced into the wild, but said starting with only three birds, all of which are at least 6 years old, "increases the difficulties."
"Without this effort, this unique species could go the way of the dinosaur, since the last three remaining birds are found in different areas of the forest and have no chance to reproduce in the wild," said Gina Shultz, endangered species manager for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Hawaii. "This successful capture and transfer to Olinda breathes new hope for saving the nation's most endangered bird."
The po'ouli is part of the Hawaiian honeycreeper family, but is so unique it has its own genus. It was not discovered until 1973, when a group of University of Hawaii students conducting research on the east slope of Haleakala sighted a bird they had never seen before.
starbulletin.com/2004/09/12/news/story9.html |
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Post by another specialist on Oct 31, 2005 8:30:15 GMT
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Post by another specialist on Oct 31, 2005 8:33:46 GMT
 Only three endangered po'ouli cling to existence in East Maui, including the Hanawi Reserve. Last ditch efforts are being taken to prevent this species from going extinct. www.kahea.org/nars/extinction_threats.html |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 1, 2005 17:39:19 GMT
Hi ! Its a juvenile:  Bye Alex |
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Post by Melanie on Nov 2, 2005 12:44:03 GMT
from the Birdlife forum:
Despite several visits to the known Po'ouli home ranges in 2005, neither of the two wild birds have been seen. The HR2 male that died in November 2004 was a minimum of 9 years old at death. The two wild birds would now (Oct 2005) also be a minimum of 9 years old; the possibility of death from old age increases with time. Field research of Maui Parrotbill is planned for January to June 2006. Study sites will include one of the Po'ouli home ranges, and two sites close to where Po'ouli were recorded in 1983 and 1986. Po'ouli and Maui Parrotbill are known to associate closely, and we will be searching for additional Po'ouli while conducting Maui Parrotbill studies.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 2, 2005 12:51:25 GMT
What happens next - will the Maui Parrotbill be the next bird to be extinct on Maui ?
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Post by Melanie on Nov 2, 2005 12:59:09 GMT
I hope not. At the last survey there were 500 individuals in the wild and 10 in captivity. But do the cat problem the existence of this species is critically imperiled. So a new survey is urgently necessesary, What happens next - will the Maui Parrotbill be the next bird to be extinct on Maui ? |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 2, 2005 13:08:34 GMT
Hi !
They raelly have to do something and they have to do it now.
We know that it is possible to save such rare species, it was no larger problem on so many islands of New Zealand - people there just did it, You know what I mean ?
They where not talking around for years and years, they have just eradicated cats and rats etc.
Raoul Island has been 'cleaned' from goats, cats, rats and all alien-plants, it would be possible do save the last living jewels of the Hawaiian Islands.
I hope that sometime the extinction - especially there - will be stopped.
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Post by RSN on Nov 2, 2005 20:16:38 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Nov 2, 2005 20:20:49 GMT
... also a juvenile  |
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Post by RSN on Nov 2, 2005 20:24:30 GMT
Creeper in portuguese mean ''trepador'' (climber)?
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Post by another specialist on Nov 2, 2005 23:17:39 GMT
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Post by Melanie on Nov 2, 2005 23:31:30 GMT
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Post by Peter on Nov 17, 2005 9:55:41 GMT
Hopefully they encounter unknown individuals of this species, but I fear the worse. That this species is truely extinct..... Here the link to the BirdLife International's Globally Threatened Bird Forums: isuzu49.webcrossing.com/WebX?13@@.2cba2a74/4. |
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Post by another specialist on Nov 17, 2005 10:45:38 GMT
Thanks Peter
I've put up current entrys from forum here for easier reading
Po`ouli: about to become Possibly Extinct in the Wild?
Po`ouli Melamposops phaeosoma is currently classified as Critically Endangered. A few unlocated individuals may exist in the wild, but the current known wild population is functionally zero since the three known birds occur in separate, non-overlapping home ranges and no breeding is probable without intervention (VanderWerf et al. 2003). Efforts are underway to bring the three known birds into captivity to facilitate breeding, but this hadn't happened as of August 2003 (S. Fretz, R. Camp, E. vanderWerf, and M. Gorresen in litt. 2003). Once it does, the species should be reclassified as Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct in the Wild) until it is certain that no other individuals remain alive in the wild. What is the latest information regarding the attempts to capture the last three individuals?
operations - 31 August, 2004 12:16 pm
Eric Vanderwerf sent the following update:
"There is a crew in the field right now, led by Kirsty Swinnerton, continuing attempts to catch the birds, but still no luck, and the weather continues to be very rainy. There are a total of 6 trips planned this Summer/Fall, the current trip is the second."
Kirsty Swinnerton - 1 December, 2004 10:32 am
One individual (known as the HR-2 bird) was captured on September 9th 2004 and removed to captivity. Efforts are ongoing to capture the two individuals remaining in the wild. However one individual has not been seen since December 2003 and the other since February 2004 (although they are notoriously difficult to locate). The captive bird was recently sexed using improved DNA techniques and preliminary results suggest that it is a male, conflicting with earlier tests that showed it to be a female. This suggests that of the three known birds remaining, two are males and one is a female, conflicting with previous information that indicated two females and one male. Owing to the very rugged terrain and the cryptic nature of the birds, additional unknown birds remaining in the wild cannot be completely ruled out at this stage.
operations - 2 December, 2004 9:42 am
Tragically the bird taken into captivity died on 28 November. This represents a major setback in the efforts to save this species, and we can only hope that the remaining two known birds are relocated and/or other individuals found.
Stuart Butchart, BirdLife International
operations - 8 March, 2005 5:10 pm
It is proposed to pend any category change until further information is available on the searches for the remaining two individuals.
Stuart Butchart, BirdLife International
Kirsty Swinnerton - 2 November, 2005 9:50 am
Despite several visits to the known Po'ouli home ranges in 2005, neither of the two wild birds have been seen. The HR2 male that died in November 2004 was a minimum of 9 years old at death. The two wild birds would now (Oct 2005) also be a minimum of 9 years old; the possibility of death from old age increases with time. Field research of Maui Parrotbill is planned for January to June 2006. Study sites will include one of the Po'ouli home ranges, and two sites close to where Po'ouli were recorded in 1983 and 1986. Po'ouli and Maui Parrotbill are known to associate closely, and we will be searching for additional Po'ouli while conducting Maui Parrotbill studies.
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Post by Melanie on Dec 21, 2005 20:52:58 GMT
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