KIPUKAPUAULU–Within an area Hawaiians hold sacred, the realm of the gods thousands of feet above the ocean on Big Island, a spectacular biodiversity hot spot known locally as “Bird Park” is an excellent place to observe and hear the avian species of Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park.
Our group reporting for the early morning bird count during the National Park Service/National Geographic BioBlitz on Saturday was escorted through the area by Dale McBeath and Cindy Granholm, volunteers who spend a lot of time with the feathered species in the park.
Kipuka is the Hawaiian term for an “island” of old-growth trees surrounded by recent lava flows. Kipukapuaulu is a fine example: lush forest of towering trees, grasses, and plants of every kind to feed and shelter birds and insects.
Kipukapuaulu has not been without serious environmental setbacks. At one time the area was used to ranch cattle. That was stopped decades ago, but the legacy is many introduced species of plants, animals, insects and birds that still impact the area today, in spite of valiant efforts by the park authorities to bring them under control.
Bird Extinction Capital
Tragically, Hawaii is the “bird extinction capital,” Cindy declared once we had participated in the oli komo (a traditional Hawaiian chant to ask the elements for permission to enter the area and for the blessing of learning from what we might see and hear). “There were about 140 native species of birds” in the islands, she explained as we set foot on the 1.2-mile circular trail. “Now the list is down to about 43, of which 33 are endangered. Ten of these 33 endemic bird species listed under the Endangered Species Act have not been seen in decades and are most likely extinct.”
A hundred species of native birds have apparently disappeared from the chain of islands as a whole. Only six native species can be found in Kipukapuaulu.
As native birds decline and disappear, foreign species have to some extent taken their place, among them pheasants, francolin and others introduced for hunting, and caged songbirds that might have escaped, perhaps during a hurricane.
But regardless of their origin, just about all of the birds in Kipukapuaulu and other parts of the lower slopes of Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park are said to be in decline, in part because of loss of indigenous trees and other habitat that provide food and shelter, but mainly because of a rampant plague of introduced mongoose and the spread of avian malaria. Big Island is no longer the paradise for birds it was long ago.
Much of the walk with Cindy consisted of hearing rather than seeing the birds, and it was inspiring to watch her picking out different species just by listening to them. With each bird she identified she provided a brief description of their preferred habitat and their role in the ecosystem. Hearing about the birds, I soon realized, also involved learning about the plants they use.
Our walk was not without its observations of some other Hawai’i Volcanoes’ iconic species, including the Kamehameha butterfly, endemic to Hawaii, as well as the minuscule blind snake, an introduced species from the Philippines that looks a lot like an earthworm.
But for all the stories of loss and extinction, Kipukapuaulu is also an example of redemption. Much of the alien vegetation left by the cattle ranchers has been cleared and is now under control; native trees are re-establishing themselves; and somehow at least a few surviving species of birds are hanging on in the face of predators and disease.
Official Kipukapuaulu Trail Guide (National Park Service)
David Braun is director of outreach with the digital and social media team illuminating the National Geographic Society’s explorer, science, and education programs.
He edits National Geographic Voices, hosting a global discussion on issues resonating with the Society’s mission and major initiatives. Contributors include grantees and Society partners, as well as universities, foundations, interest groups, and individuals dedicated to a sustainable world. More than 50,000 readers have participated in 10,000 conversations.
Braun also directs the Society side of the Fulbright-National Geographic Digital Storytelling Fellowship.