WAILUA — A group of fourth grade students from Island School, Kumu Sabra Kauka, and representatives of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources and other community groups, including Save Our Shearwaters, watched on Wednesday as the four rehabilitated Newell’s shearwater birds took to the skies over a Wailua beach assisted by the hands of the spectators.
The Newell’s shearwaters, named A‘o by the Hawaiian culture, were each accompanied by cheer, especially from the delighted fourth grade students, as the birds were given a second chance at life after falling during their migration from the mountain birthplace to open ocean.
The release, accompanied by an oli by Kumu Sabra, represents the plight of the critically endangered seabirds that spend two years in the open ocean before returning to lay eggs in the mountains. This aspect of the life and behaviors of A‘o were presented to the students through classroom work, and a brief on-site presentation by groups concerned about the welfare of endangered seabirds.
“They are a unique species to work with,” said Jackie Nelson, the senior program manager with Save Our Shearwaters (SOS). “It is special that we get to work with these creatures that can live out on open ocean for years at a time, and not touch land if they don’t need to.”
This aspect of the seabird has evolved the A‘o so if they fall to the ground, they may physically be unable to get airborne.
A Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) press release states that each fall for hundreds of Newell’s shearwaters, their first contact with land is unexpected and that is the reason they end up in the care of SOS where they are inspected and if injured, nursed back to being able to return to the wild.
The birds literally fall to the ground after being attracted by artificial lights, the DLNR said.
“Young birds heading to sea for the first time are often attacked by the nighttime artificial lighting of playing fields, hotels, resorts, and streets,” said the nonprofit American Bird Conservancy. “They become disoriented and circle the lights until becoming exhausted and fall to the ground where they may be injured or killed by cars, dogs, or cats.”
The annual bird fall-out programs are on all the main Hawaiian Islands, the DLNR said. People are encouraged to bring fallen birds in for checkups and treatment if necessary.
“They get a full head-to-tail examination,” Nelson said. “If they have something going on we can attempt to treat it. If it is a normal grounded bird, often the turnaround is quick.”
The SOS staff releases birds, regularly, but the Wednesday release of four birds was significant because of the time experts from the Kauai Endangered Seabird Recovery Project spend in classrooms providing education in classrooms about the A‘o and the threats they face.
“You guys all got those questions right, which makes me very proud,” Nelson told the students following the on-site presentation where students were treated to close-up views of the birds ready to start their second chance at life. “The four birds that I have today were found by the public. That mean, they could have been found by you guys.”
Kauai Endangered Seabird Recovery Project coordinator Dilek Sahin was impressed with the students’ reaction and knowledge they gained during the classroom and on-site presentations.
“These endangered seabirds mostly live out of sight up in the mountains. They are active at night,” Sahin said.
”It is important to let people know that they are facing threats. If we have a connection, it will be more possible to protect them, to facilitate the conservation of the species. We need the help of the public and new generations to find and rescue these birds.”
