LIHUE — Scientists are asking for the public’s help counting Kauai birds in December and with it comes the chance to get up close to endangered birds on the island.
It’s the annual Christmas Bird Count on Kauai, a community project organized by the National Audubon Society. There are chances to get involved all over the island on Tuesday and Dec. 29.
The count will be ongoing in Kokee, Kapaa and Kilauea those days and volunteers spend the day tallying the number and species of birds they see.
It’s a chance to talk story with friends, soak in Kauai’s beauty, do a bit of birding and photo-taking, and contribute to understanding and preserving the birds.
“Participating in the Christmas Bird Count is a great way to help local birds by making sure we have the data we need to make informed management decisions,” said Kim Uyehara of Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge.
She continued: “It’s also a fun way to spend the day outside, helping with a really important citizen science project with people not just on Kauai but around the world.”
Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge is hosting two counts — one at the Kilauea Point Refuge and one at Hanalei National Wildlife Refuge; both of them begin at 6:45 a.m. at the refuge. Counts continue all day and volunteers can attend partial days.
Those who attend will have the chance to see Laysan albatross, red-footed boobies, brown boobies, red-tailed and white-tailed tropicbirds, great frigatebirds and wedge-tailed shearwaters.
“Some years we may even see rare birds from the mainland such as Peregrine falcons,” Uyehara said.
Bird counters can also meet on Tuesday in the morning at the Kapaa Circle for an Eastside count.
Then, the Kauai Forest Bird Recovery Project will host the Waimea Christmas Bird Count on Dec. 29.
Meet in Kokee meadow at 8:30 a.m. to do some hiking with KFBRP staff and help count the small forest birds like Kauai’s various honeycreepers — the anianiau, akekee, and akikiki — or the iiwi and elepaio.
The Hawaiian stilt, Hawaiian coot, moorhen and Koloa ducks will all be on the list over at Kawaiele Waterbird Sanctuary on Dec. 29; that count starts at 9 a.m.
Both the Waimea Christmas Bird Count in Kokee and the one at Kawaiele will end at 12:30 p.m.
Along with hiking, bird watching and citizen science, the Waimea Christmas Bird Count will feature a banding demonstration of some of Kauai’s unique and endangered birds in the meadow.
For KFBRP, the bird count helps assess long-term trends in bird populations in areas that are not part of the organization’s regular sphere of work.
“It is also an excellent opportunity to interact with locals and visitors who do not often get a chance to see our native forest birds,” said Lisa “Cali” Crampton of KFBRP. “This year we will be counting on several easy trails and at Kokee meadow, and hope to have an added twist that will let people get really up close and personal with the birds: a mist netting station in the park.”
The Christmas Bird Count is a nationwide event that started in 1900 when Frank Chapman decided to start a tradition of counting birds during the holiday season instead of hunting.
It’s the world’s longest-running wildlife census used to track the health of bird populations, according to the Audubon Society.
The bird counts are free and are open to people of all skill levels — and those hosting the events provide all the tools needed to record the count. All volunteers need to bring is protection from the sun or rain; sunscreen is very important.
“Bird surveys and banding projects have long helped scientists understand the complex life cycles and migration patterns of birds across the globe,” Uyehara said. “This information helps scientists make better management decisions that ensure birds have the habitat and resources they need in the future.”
For more information on the Kilauea and Hanalei counts, contact Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge at 828-1413.
For more information on the Kapaa count, contact Lucy Carr at cbckauai@gmail.com or at 639-1388.
For more information on the West Kauai counts, contact Michelle Hookano at michelle.hookano@kokee.org or 335-9975, or email Abby at intern@kauaiforestbirds.org.
