Subject: Hawaii Field Guide Book
Date: Jan 21 22:19:59 2002
From: Eugene Kridler - ekridler at olympus.net


Irene:

Having spent 16 years in Hawaii (1964-79) as a USFWS administrator and
endangered species coordinator, I think i know a little bit about
Hawaiian birds (both endemic and introduced).

Jack Kinter had a good suggestion to get a relatively inexpensive Hawaii
field guide booklet published by the Hawaiian Audubon Society titled
Hawaii's Birds, 96 pps. It tells you where to go on various islands to
see native and endemic forest and waterbirds, seabirds and introduced
birds. (There have been over 150 kinds of birds introduced to Hawaii
since Captain Cook's time - some good and some not so good). This
booklet has maps of places to go to see such birds. As Jack mentioned,
this booklet can be purchased at the Bishop Museum. Copies can be
purchased also from the Society whose Email address is
hiaudsoc at pixi.com.

If you are going only to Maui, visit the State wildlife refuge Kanaha
Pond near the airport at Kahalui. Good place to see endangered
subspecies of the Hawaiian Black-necked stilt (Aeo), Hawaiian Coot (Alae
Keokeo) and Hawaiian Gallinule (Alae Ula) plus other migrant waterbirds
like the Pacific Golden Plover, Polynesian Tattler, etc. You can also
see them at the Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge on the south coast.
Both areas have viewing sites for birders. Some of the seabirds you may
see along the coasts are the Black and Brown Noddy Terns, the White
Tern, Red-footed Booby and the Brown Booby, Frigatebird, Tropicbirds,
maybe one of the two Albatross species, etc..

If you drive to the top of Haleakala Crater (some 10,000 ft. high) stop
off on the way up at Hosmer Grove for endemic forest birds like the
Apapane, Iiwi, Amakihi and if your lucky maybe Crested Honeycreeper,
Maui Parrotbill and if you are really lucky, a Poouli. Also stop at Park
Service Headquarters. They used to have, and still may have, Nene
)Hawaiian Goose). Be careful at the top that you don't over exert
yourself because you're in a rarified atmosphere on the top. At lower
elevations look for lots introduced species like Zebra and Lace-necked
Doves, Skylarks, Red-crested Cardinals, etc.

A more expensive book would be Douglas Pratt et al A Field Guide to
Hawaii and the Tropical Pacific, but the Audubon booklet should be
sufficient.

You might want to contact the Hawaii Audubon Society to see if they can
put you in touch with some members on Maui who might give you the latest
information about where to go. Nothing ventured: nothing gained, what?
I've been a member of that chapter since 1964

If you're going to spend a day or two on Hawaii, you might find the
Bishop Museum interesting. Anyways, good birding.

Gene Kridler
USFWS retiree
Sequim, WA