Browsing by Author "Paxton, Eben H."

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    2018 Kaua'i forest bird population estimates and trends
    (2020-11-11) Paxton, Eben H.; Brinck, Kevin W.; Crampton, Lisa H.; Hite, Justin; Costantini, Maria
    Kaua‘i's native forest birds have experienced steep declines since the beginning of systematic surveys in 1981, and declines have accelerated in recent decades. This report details the analysis of the most recent surveys conducted in 2018. Incorporating the new survey results, long-term trends continue to show sharp declines for all native honeycreeper species with the exception of ‘apapane (Himatione sanguinea), which has stable numbers in core areas of its range. Kaua‘i ‘elepaio (Chasiempis sclateri) continued to decline in the outer portions of its range but increased in the core areas of its range. Abundance estimates of forest birds ranged from slightly higher to slightly lower in most species, indicating a relatively stable period from 2012–2018, and a pause from the rapid declines seen in earlier periods. Many native species now exist in very low numbers, and variation in estimates from survey to survey will increase.
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    Aging and sexing guide to the forest birds of Hawai`i Island
    (2016-12-12) Paxton, Eben H.; McLaughlin, Rachelle; Levins, Stephanie; Vanderwerf, Eric; Lancaster, Nolan
    We banded birds in Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge from 2012 to 2016, collecting photographs of birds and making detailed observations on coloration, morphology, and molting patterns. While we believe the criteria in this guide are applicable to forest birds across Hawai’i Island, as well as on other Hawaiian islands for ‘Apapane, ‘I‘iwi, and Hawai‘i ‘Amakihi, certain characteristics such as morphometrics may vary across populations, and users should verify the guide’s criteria with other available field data.
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    Hawaiian forest bird conservation strategies for minimizing the risk of extinction: biological and biocultural considerations
    (2022-04-14) Paxton, Eben H.; Laut, Megan; Enomoto, Stanton; Bogardus, Michelle
    The iconic forest birds of Hawai‘i are facing a conservation crisis. Across the Hawaiian Islands, native forest birds have been experiencing population declines that have accelerated in the last one to two decades. While habitat loss, invasive species, and non-native predators have negatively affected forest bird species for hundreds of years, and continue to do so, introduced diseases, particularly avian malaria, are the greatest threat to forest birds today. Further, climate change has increased temperatures in the high-elevation forests, facilitating the spread of disease into areas that were once largely disease-free. Rapid population declines have now (2022) pushed four Hawaiian honeycreeper species to the brink of extinction: the endangered ‘akikiki (Oreomystis bairdi) and ‘akeke‘e (Loxops caeruleirostris) on Kaua‘i Island, and kiwikiu (Pseudonestor xanthophrys) and ‘ākohekohe (Palmeria dolei) on Maui Island. The biologists that study these birds strongly agree that without a rapid conservation response to the threat of increasing disease mortality there is a high probability these species will go extinct in the coming decade. To help evaluate alternative conservation strategies for minimizing the risk of extinction, we convened diverse groups of experts with broad experience in Hawai‘i forest birds and ecosystems, as well as the management approaches being considered, to assess the probability of success of alternative management actions. In addition to assessing this crisis from a biological perspective, we convened a group of Native Hawaiian participants that have a strong connection to the forest birds, forests, and the integration of their culture in natural and biocultural resource management. They give voice to the significance of forest birds to Native Hawaiians and provide their perspectives on alternative management actions. Broadly, the three alternative management actions being considered to prevent the extinction of forest birds from the increasing threat of disease are (1) landscape-level mosquito control through the Wolbachia incompatible insect technique, (2) captive care, and (3) conservation translocations. The two key components of the problem of preventing extinction in these four bird species is time and risk. For each species, very few individuals remain, and they are all in danger of imminent extinction. Each management action takes time to implement, which might exceed the actual time to extinction. Additionally, each of these conservation actions has potential benefits and inherent risks, as well as substantial uncertainty in terms of being successful. Native Hawaiian perspectives and considerations also vary across the conservation actions. The expert evaluations summarized in this report provide a broad assessment of conservation strategies that could be undertaken to prevent the extinction of ‘akikiki, ‘akeke‘e, kiwikiu, and ‘ākohekohe. While this report does not recommend specific actions, the information is intended to support decision-makers as they assess which, if any, conservation strategies to pursue. // Ke hālāwai nei nā manu o ka nahele o Hawai‘i me ka pōpilikia maluō. Ma ka pae ‘āina ‘o Hawai‘i, ke emi mai nei nō ka nui manu a keu aku ma nā makahiki he 10 a 20 i hala aku nei. I loko nō o ka pā hewa o ka manu no nā makahiki he lō‘ihi a he mau haneli i ka nele o kahi e noho ai, ka lāhulu komo hailapu, a me ka po‘ii‘a malihini, ‘o ka ma‘i malihini, ‘o ia ho‘i ka avian malaria, ka mea nui e pau nei ka manu ‘ānō. Ua pi‘i pū ho‘i ka mehana o ka nahele o nā wao ki‘eki‘e a‘e i ka mehana honua e laha ai ua ma‘i nei i nā wahi loa‘a mua ‘ole o ua ma‘i nei. Ua lilo ka pau ‘emo ‘ole ‘ana o ka manu he kumu e pau nei ka ‘ehā lāhulu manu mūkīkī i ka make loa: ‘o ka ‘akikiki (Oreomystis bairdi) lāua me ka ‘akeke‘e (Loxops caeruleirostris) ma ka mokupuni ‘o Kaua‘i a me ke kiwikiu (Pseudonestor xanthophrys) lāua me ka ‘ākohekohe (Palmeria dolei) ma ka mokupuni ‘o Maui. Ua lōkahi ka mana‘o o nā akeakamai kālaimeaola nāna e noi‘i ana i kēia po‘e manu, he nui loa ka papaha o ka pau o ua mau lāhulu nei i ka make loa i loko o nā makahiki he ‘umi e hiki mai auane‘i ke pa‘a ‘ole ke ki‘ina ho‘omaluō e lapa‘au ai. I mea e kālailai ‘ia ai nā ka‘akālai ho‘omaluō e emi ai ka pau loa ‘ana o ka manu i ka make loa, ua ho‘ohui ‘ia nā mea mākaukau o nā ‘ano like ‘ole nona ka ‘ike laulā i ka manu o ka nahele a kaiaola o Hawai‘i a me nā ala ho‘omalu e no‘ono‘o ‘ia ana e noi‘i ai i ka papaha o ka puka o ua mau ki‘ina ho‘omalu nei. Ma waho o ka noi‘i i ka pōpilikia ma ke kuana‘ike kālaimeaola, ua ho‘ohui pū ‘ia he hui o nā kānaka Hawai‘i nona ka pilina ikaika i ka manu o ka nahele, ka nahele, a me ka ‘āwili ‘ia o ka mo‘omeheu Hawai‘i ma ka ho‘omalu kumuwaiwai ao kūlohelohe e komo ai ka mana‘o i ka mea nui o ka manu i ke kānaka Hawai‘i me ka hāpai pū ‘ia o ka mana‘o no nā ki‘ina ho‘omalu pū kekahi. Ma ka laulā, he ‘ekolu ki‘ina ho‘omalu e no‘ono‘o ‘ia nei he ala e pau ‘ole ai ka manu o ka nahele i ka make loa, 1) ke kāohi makika ma o ka Wolbachia incompatible insect technique, 2) ka hānai ka‘awale, a me 3) ka ho‘omaluō ka‘awale. ‘O ka manawa a me ka ‘a‘a i ka hana nā kumuloli nui ‘elua o ke pani i ka pau ‘ana o kēia mau lāhulu manu ‘ehā i ka make loa. No kēlā me kēia lāhulu, kāka‘ikahi nō ke koe ‘ana mai o kona mau manu a ke hālāwai maoli nei nō me ka pōpilikia o pau i ka make loa. He wā ka mea e pono ai kēlā me kēia ki‘ina ho‘omalu e hele ana paha a ma ‘ō aku o ka manawa e pau ai ua mau manu nei i ka make loa. He hopena maika‘i a maika‘i ‘ole nō paha ko kēia mau ki‘ina ho‘omalu, a pēlā pū ke kānalua nui i ka puka a me ka puka ‘ole nō paha. ‘Oko‘a pū ke kuana‘ike o ke kānaka Hawai‘i no kēlā me kēia ki‘ina ho‘omalu. Hō‘ike nā mana‘o o nā mea mākaukau i hō‘ulu‘ulu ‘ia ma kēia mo‘olelo he ‘ike laulā no nā ki‘ina ho‘omaluō e lawelawe ‘ia e pani ‘ia ai ka pau ‘ana o ka ‘akikiki, ka ‘akeke‘e, ke kiwikiu, a me ka ‘ākohekoke i ka make loa. I loko nō o ka hāpai ‘ole ‘ia o nā ki‘ina pono‘ī, i mea ho‘i ka ‘ike o loko e kāko‘o ‘ia ai nā mea nona ka mana ho‘oholo ma ke koho paha i ke ki‘ina ho‘omaluō e ‘imi ‘ia aku.
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    Program MAMO: Models for avian management optimization-user guide
    (2017-09-19) Guillaumet, Alban; Paxton, Eben H.
    The following chapters describe the structure and code of MAMO, and walk the reader through running the different components of the program with sample data. This manual should be used alongside a computer running R, so that the reader can copy and paste code into R, observe the output, and follow along interactively. Taken together, chapters 2–4 will allow the user to replicate a simulation study investigating the consequences of climate change and two potential management actions on the population dynamics of a vulnerable and iconic Hawaiian forest bird, the ‘I‘iwi (Drepanis coccinea; hereafter IIWI).