Persons going to the Big Island (Hawaii) for the first time to bird can
not only see the native birds but a lot of introductions from all over
the world. There have been over l60 kinds of birds introduced at one
time or he other. Some introductions took; some didn't. Some were
begnine, others weren't. Introduced birds brought bird diseases with
them. Mosquitoes introduced by whalers were the vector that transmitted
the diseases from introductions to native birds. Since Captain Cooke's
time, 20 endemic species have become extinct and another are classified
as endangered. The worst record in the world, bar none. Then the
European introduced rats, mongooses, cats, dogs, the European boar,
cattle, goats and sheep, mosquitoes, nonative birds plus a host of
strange plants. Hawaii has had its flora and fauna screwed up worse than
the other 49 states combined, but it gets little notice by mainland
people. About 200 endemic plants, many colorful land snails, endemic
insects are also listed as endangered. Anyways, be prepared to see
Mynahs, Skylarks, Cardinals, Turkeys, Sand Grouse, Chukars, California
Quail, Several species of pheasants, Warbling Silverbills, a number of
species of doves, White-eyes, etc. What you might see are endemics like
Apepane, Omao (Thrush) Iiwi, Akepa, Creepers, Palila, Akiopalaau, Nene
(Hawaiian Goose)Uau, Io (hawaiian Hawk), Alala (Hawaiian Crow) Aeo, Alae
Keokeo, Elapaio, Ou. As stated before contact Dick Wass, refuge manager
of the Hakalau National Wildlife Refuge at places to go to see native
birds (also nonnative) The refuge should be listed in the Hilo phonebook
as would be the Biological Research Station of The Geological Survey
whose director is Jim Jacobi. Both are good people and were graduate
students at the time in retired from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
there in l979. Jim, by the way, along with Tonnie Casey found the first
Poouli (Blackface) a Hawaiian Honeycreeper on Maui before I retired from
the U.S. Fish at Wildlife Service in l979 as the Pacific Islands
Endangered Species Coordinator. I could go on and on about endangered
species but I won't. E. Kridler, 95l E. Oak St. Sequim, Wa.