Birds of the Kalapana Extension

Abstract

An avifaunal survey of the Kalapana Extension of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, conducted from 1976-1979, revealed the presence of 26 bird species in 24 genera and 17 families. There were six species endemic to the Hawaiian archipelago, of which one species and the subspecies of three others are endemic to the island of Hawai'i. One of the three indigenous species, the Pueo (Asio flammeus sandwichensis), is represented by a subspecies endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. Of the six endemic birds occurring in the Kalapana Extension, two, the Nene (Branta sandy icensis) and the 'Io (Buteo solitarius), are endangered species. Although all habitat types are inhabited by at least one native bird, no one native species occurred in all habitat types. Of the 15 exotic bird species, the Japanese White-eye (Zosterops japonicus), the Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis), and the House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus) were found throughout the study area. The White-eye was by far the most abundant bird in the Kalapana Extension.