Kiwikiu Next Steps
What is next for the recovery of the kiwkiu? What we do know is that quitting is not an option. If we do not figure out how to facilitate survival for these birds on the leeward slopes, the clear outcome will be the extinction of the species.
Kiwikiu recovery efforts have experienced a huge set back with the mortality of many of the recently translocated individuals. Conservation translocations are inherently risky and only undertaken when the species is at risk of extinction and has already experienced significant population losses. Translocated populations often suffer high mortality rates, but to lose the birds to avian malaria was not an anticipated outcome in the project. We have learned a lot in the past several months about this species and how they interact with the leeward forest habitats. Kiwikiu recovery efforts will continue because they must. We will continue to determine how we can best establish a kiwikiu population on the leeward slopes of Haleakalā. The next steps in Kiwikiu recovery are currently under review by the interagency team and we will be looking at all options to ensure success. What we do know is that quitting is not an option. If we do not figure out how to facilitate survival for these birds on the leeward slopes, the clear outcome will be the extinction of the species.