Hawaiian Petrel - ‘Ua‘u

The Hawaiian Petrel (‘Ua‘u, Pterodroma sandwichensis) is an endangered member of the procellariid family of seabirds commonly referred to as tubenoses for their pronounced tubular nares. Pterodroma petrels are among the ocean's most wide-ranging and pelagic marine species. The ‘Ua‘u nests only in remote regions of Hawai‘i (an endemic species) © USGS Photo, Josh Adams


Project Description

Known to the Hawaiians as ‘Ua‘u for their haunting, nocturnal call, the endangered Hawaiian Petrel (Pterodroma sandwichensis) retains mystery. These birds truly exist in an environment of wind and waves, only returning to the Hawai´ian Islands to nest during the subtropical spring.

Effective conservation of ‘Ua‘u requires a better understanding of its biology and ecology. In 2006, the US Geological Survey partnered with HT Harvey and Associates (David Ainley), the US Fish & Wildlife Service, the State of Hawai'i, Haleakala National Park, and in 2007 with Oikonos to use satellite telemetry to better understand ‘Ua‘u.

• The main goal of this research is to provide information that will contribute toward efforts that will enable recovery of the ‘Ua‘u and eventual "down-listing" from the Endangered Species list.

 


Coincident with the early colonization of the Hawaiian Islands, rapid proliferation of introduced mammalian predators and ungulates, diseases, industrialized agriculture and fishing, and urbanization imposed substantial pressure on the ‘Ua‘u. As a result, ‘Ua‘u were one of the first species to be listed as Federally Endangered in 1967.

Established breeding pairs will first attempt nesting at approximately 6 years age, and will return to the same nest site year after year for upwards of 40 years in an annual effort to produce a single chick (typically, procellariids lay only one egg per year). This life history strategy can facilitate rapid population declines and slow recovery when adult survival is compromised.

Small colonies of the once abundant ´Ua´u now are confined to the summit areas of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa, Hawai'i, Haleakala, Maui, and remote forested areas on Hawai'i, Kaua'i, and Lana'i. ‘Ua‘u continue to be impacted by loss of habitat, predation, and threats both on land and at sea.




Hawaiian Petrels nest in remote, isolated areas in Hawai'i. Although easily detected flying over their colonies at night, finding a petrel burrow amidst dense, head-high uluhe fern stands on Lana'i Hale, can be extremely difficult. © USGS Photo, Josh Adams

Whereas predation and habitat degradation by non-native species are principal threats to the endangered Hawaiian Petrel, we are using satellite telemetry to address several prerequisites for conservation. Our studies aim to:

1. Establish methods that will help generate precise locations of remote, montane nesting areas

2. Enable more refined techniques for population assessment

3. Identify their at-sea habitat

Project Results

In summer 2006, we made an initial attempt to track the fine-scale movements of four ‘Ua‘u. We discovered that breeding birds make dramatic, clockwise looping foraging trips throughout a broad area of the north Pacific. Some individual trips exceeded 10,000 km. Preliminary results from this season show a similar pattern of consistent clockwise looping trips throughout the central north Pacific Ocean.



Photo: Dark-rumped Petrel (Hawaiian or Galapagos) in flight © Don Doolittle 2005.

Map: The white line traces the journey of one Hawaiian Petrel, tracked from Haleakala, Maui, that performed a extensive clockwise loop in two weeks throughout the North Pacific and into the Transition Chlorophyll Zone to feed its chick (color-shading indicates satellite-sensed chlorophyll concentration). USGS Unpublished Data, Josh Adams

More about ‘Ua‘u

Species Profile
General Information
More photos in flight, © Don Doolittle at Shearwater Journeys

Primary Contact

Josh Adams, US Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center
josh_adams [at] usgs.gov

Collaborators and Supporters

Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources
USGS Science Support Partnership (SSP) Program
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Haleakala National Park, Maui
H.T. Harvey and Associates
Microwave Telemetry

Acknowledgements

In addition to the funders and collaborators above, the following people are providing special expertise and energy to the project:

Jay Penniman: Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit, University of Hawai‘i (PCSU)
Fern Duvall: Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR)
Joy Tamayose: Haleakala National Park
Cathleen Bailey: Haeakala National Park
Holly Freifeld: USFWS