The US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is about to declare 21 species, including 10 US bird species, extinct. Eight of the 10 are Hawaiian species. Unfortunately, most are likely gone at or about the time they are listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Now, they will be removed from the ESA due to extinction.
“Most of these extinct birds are Hawaiian species that are unique to those islands. This is a tremendous loss,” said Michael J. Parr, President of the American Bird Conservancy (ABC). “Their ESA listings occurred too late for their protection and recovery. Sadly, this tragic outcome could have been prevented if actions to protect their habitats had been taken earlier.
The eight Hawaiian bird species to be declared extinct are the Kauai akialoa, Kauai nukupuu, Kauaʻi ʻōʻō, Large Kauai thrush, Maui ākepa, Maui nukupuʻu, Molokai creeper, and Po`ouli. Other US bird species thought to be extinct are the Bachman’s Warbler, once found in the southern US, along with the Bridled White-eye of Guam. Unlike the September 2021 delisting proposal, today’s announcement does not include a final extinction call for the Ivory-billed Woodpecker.
Palila, Hawaii, copyright Bjorn Anderson, from surfbirds gallery
“Some may use this data to suggest that the ESA has somehow failed. That would be incorrect because most of these species either did not exist when the Act became law, or were too rare and threatened too late. for conservation initiated under the Act to save them,” said Parr. “The success rate of the ESA has been really great with very few extinctions and many species recoveries since it was passed.”
Once a bird paradise, Hawai’i is now the bird extinction capital of the world with many species on the brink and more in danger of disappearing in our lifetime. Most remaining bird populations have declined significantly due to habitat loss and invasive species, and honeycreepers, including Kiwikiu and ‘I’iwi, have been particularly hard hit by non-native diseases carried by invasive species. mosquitoes.
Through the Birds, Not Mosquitoes program, ABC is helping to coordinate the design and implementation of a strategy that will disrupt the breeding cycle of mosquitoes. Under the plan, a secure lab would breed male mosquitoes containing a strain of naturally occurring Wolbachia bacteria that would make them unable to successfully breed with wild female mosquitoes in Hawai’i.
“We are urgently working with our partners in Hawai’i to prevent the tragedy of future extinctions of Hawaiian birds,” Parr said. “I still have hope that we can prevent the extinction of the Kiwikiu and other Hawaiian birds. If we act now, and decisively, we can ensure a different outcome.”
“Of the Hawaiian birds declared extinct, only the Po`ouli existed when its listing took place. An effort was made to recover the remaining birds, but it started too late,” said Steve Holmer, Vice President of Policy for ABC. “The longer conservation efforts continue, the better the results. It is important that species are listed for protection under the ESA before they become a crisis, and that the ESA remains strong to guard against future extinction.
The final rule to delist 21 species in the ESA due to extinction will be published in Federal Register on October 17, 2023 and is valid 30 days after publication.
