My point is that our priorities for saving species are completely cockeyed.? Trying to accomplish everything usually gets you nothing.? If you spend 90% of your effort on 10% of the problem you'll lose 90% of the time.? Saving Hawaiian birds should be our top priority, but they are the bottom.
We have 14 critically endangered species in the US (IUCN Redlist not counting the ones already extinct).? 13 of these critical species are in Hawaii, but 90% of the effort has been elsewhere.? Next to nothing is happening to save all those unique Hawaiian species while we let various political activists use the Endangered Species Act for other purposes at huge economic and political cost. ? Anti-loggers used the Spotted Owl to stop logging here in the NW: that cost 100's of million of dollars and destroyed entire communities. ? Anti-growth activists used the California Gnatcatcher (yes, it's cute, but far from critically endangered and very similar to other gnatcatchers). ? That effort probably cost a billion dollars.? Finally, in Arizona, anti-science Luddites used the newly "discovered" Mt. Graham sub-species of the red squirrel to try to stop one of the great astronomy projects on the planet.
While we were in the midst of all these other headline and resource grabbing controversies, most birders and nearly all the rest of the nation, had no idea that Hawaiian bird populations were collapsing.?
Richard Carlson
Full-time Birder, Biker and Rotarian
Part-time Economist
Tucson, AZ, Lake Tahoe, CA, & Kirkland, WA
rccarl at pacbell.net
Tucson 520-760-4935
Tahoe 530-581-0624
Kirkland 425-828-3819
Cell 650-280-2965
--- On Fri, 8/27/10, m.egger at comcast.net <m.egger at comcast.net> wrote:
From: m.egger at comcast.net <m.egger at comcast.net>
Subject: [Tweeters] re Kauai birding and California Gnatcatcher
To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
Date: Friday, August 27, 2010, 4:06 PM
#yiv481098607 p {margin:0;}
?
Secondly, I couldn't let Richard Carlson's statement from the message below go unanswered: "While we've spent enourmous efforts to "save" barely ID'able sub-species -- Mt. Graham squirrels, Cal Gnatcatcher etc., we've let an entire Hawiian avifauna collapse". While I agree that the Hawaiin endemic are wonderful & need more conservation efforts to same them, I completely disagree with the implication that the Mt. Graham Squirrel and the California Gnatcatcher are "barely ID'able sub-species" apparently not worthy of conservation efforts. First, the California Gnatcatcher is a full and well-marked species, not a subspecies (and it's a very cool little bird!), easily distinguished from the other gnatcatchers when one knows what to look for. Moreover, it is easily conserved, IF we choose to save what's left of its habitat. Sadly, the situation with the Hawaiian forest endemics is more complex & they?face a whole set of serious threats to their existence:
habitat destruction, disease, introduced predators, loss of native food plants, climate change, etc. Anyway, my point is that both the Hawaiian endemics AND the endangered species on the mainland of North America deserve out strongest efforts to protect their habitats and help them survive.
?
Mark
?
?
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From: tweeters-bounces at mailman2.u.washington.edu [mailto:tweeters-bounces at mailman2.u.washington.edu] On Behalf Of rccarl at pacbell.net
Sent: Thursday, August 26, 2010 8:07 AM
To: tweeters at u.washington.edu; Karen
Subject: Re: Fwd: [Tweeters] Kauai birding advice?-
?
Don't forget the great flock of Wedge-tailed Shearwaters that come into their nests near the Lighthouse just before dusk.
If you are lucky enough to see a native Hawaiian land bird, don't forget that they're disappearing.? While we've spent enourmous efforts to "save" barely ID'able sub-species -- Mt. Graham squirrels, Cal Gnatcatcher etc., we've let an entire Hawiian avifauna collapse.? When I first visited Hawaii in 1970, Iiwi & Apapane were common, now you'll be lucky to see one.
Richard Carlson
Full-time Birder, Biker and Rotarian
Part-time Economist
Tucson, AZ, Lake Tahoe, CA, & Kirkland, WA
rccarl at pacbell.net
Tucson 520-760-4935
Tahoe 530-581-0624
Kirkland 425-828-3819
Cell 650-280-2965
--- On Thu, 8/26/10, Karen <puget_sound_girl at yahoo.com> wrote:
From: Karen <puget_sound_girl at yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: Fwd: [Tweeters] Kauai birding advice?-
To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
Date: Thursday, August 26, 2010, 9:11 AM
I am enjoying the responses re: Kauai birding as I will be there for 10 days in November.?? I'd love to hear about any recommendations.
?
Thanks for your help!
Karen
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