Entries by Julia Diegmann

Wings of the Alakaʻi: A Puaiohi’s Brave First Flight

by Jack Alexander Puaiohi are a skulky, secretive bird in the Thrush family. They will sit still and stay hidden for as long as you look for them, then suddenly reappear with one loud call. Their harsh, grating call is the best way to find and follow them. Follow them long enough during the breeding […]

AERIAL WAR AGAINST BIRD-KILLING MOSQUITOES ON KAUA‘I AND MAUI

(ALAKA‘I PLATEAU, KAUA‘I) — An airborne war against avian-malaria-spreading mosquitoes is actively underway on Kaua‘i, and on Maui. In the 2013 film “Planes,” audiences of all ages became familiar with a crop duster named Dusty.  On Kaua‘i conservationists are flying a helicopter version of Dusty to spread a harmless bacterium in native forests inhabited by […]

KAUA‘I FOREST BIRD PROTECTION AWARDED GRANTS TO RESEARCH AVIAN MALARIA IN HAWAIIAN HONEYCREEPERS

(HONOLULU) – The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation has announced a $644,758 grant to the Kaua‘i Forest Bird Recovery Project (KFBRP) to support on-the-ground efforts in its battle against avian malaria. The grant was awarded Tuesday. A like amount of grant funding was also awarded to the University […]

Birds, Not Mosquitoes Partnership Receives Hawaiʻi Conservation Innovation Award

The Birds, Not Mosquitoes (BNM) partnership  received the Hawai‘i Conservation Alliance’s (HCA) Conservation Innovation Award on July 31 during the 31st annual Hawai‘i Conservation Conference in Honolulu. The award recognizes new technologies or techniques used in conservation activities that lead to significant advances to the structure or nature of environmental conservation in Hawai‘i. In choosing BNM […]

“Wings and Woodlands: A Tribute to Native Birds and Forests” 2024

The Kaua’i Forest Bird Recovery Project is partnering with Birds, Not Mosquitoes, and Kamehameha Schools to honor our beautiful and endangered manu through art. We will be hosting an art show at the Kaua’i Society of Artists gallery at Kukui Grove Center from 11/1 -11/8/2024.   Finished artwork can be shipped to KFBRP PO Box […]

LĪHUʻE AIRPORT WINDOW DISPLAY HIGHLIGHTS NATIVE FOREST BIRDS

(LĪHUʻE, KAUA‘I) – A display in the Līhuʻe Airport is showcasing the unique wildlife found on Kaua‘i and the threats it faces from invasive species. The Garden Island Arts Council teamed up with Hallux Ecosystem Restoration, LLC, to create the large window display. As part of the ‘Year of the Forest Birds’ (ka Makahiki o […]

Mosquito Control Project to Save Honeycreepers Underway on Maui and Kaua‘i – Method Aims to Prevent Hawaiian Honeycreeper Extinctions

Several Hawaiian honeycreepers are facing imminent extinction due to avian malaria carried by invasive southern house mosquitoes. Members of the multi-agency partnership Birds, Not Mosquitoes (BNM) have begun releasing non-biting male southern house mosquitoes on Maui and Kaua‘i to reduce their populations. Following years of rigorous study and analysis, the releases began in November 2023 after regulatory […]

2024 is Ka Makahiki o Nā Manu Nahele: The Year of the Forest Birds

2024 is Ka Makahiki o Nā Manu Nahele: The Year of the Forest Birds, a time to celebrate the jewels of our Hawaiian forests. Our native forest birds are uniquely Hawaiian: they exist only in the Hawaiian Islands and nowhere else in the world. These birds have critical ecological roles as pollinators, seed dispersers, and […]

Resisting extinction – THE NEXT TOOL FOR SAVING KAUA‘I FOREST BIRDS FROM EXTINCTION INTRODUCED

(KOKE‘E-WAIMEA CANYON STATE PARK, KAUA‘I) – A dozen researchers and technicians last week began releasing incompatible male mosquitoes to try and stop the near-certain extinction of at least four species of Native Hawaiian honeycreepers. A first for Hawai‘i, the release took place just off a road on the Alaka‘i Plateau on Kaua‘i. The release of […]