Severe Storms Impact Native Bird Conservation in Hawaii
Recent severe storms in Hawaii have posed significant challenges to conservation efforts for native birds, particularly at the Keauhou Bird Conservation Center on Hawaii Island and the Maui Bird Conservation Center. According to Hawaii Public Radio, the storms resulted in the death of a critically endangered 'akeke'e bird, which was already old and vulnerable. The storms caused substantial damage, including $10,000 to $15,000 worth of damage to fences due to fallen trees. Conservationists have been forced to adapt their strategies, including using fallen branches in enclosures and pulling monitoring teams from remote areas due to safety concerns. The Maui Bird Conservation Center, which houses rare birds like the Hawaiian crow ('alalÄ), managed to avoid major damage, although power outages were reported. The storms have also triggered mating behaviors among the birds, raising concerns as more storms are anticipated. 
