Birds in Hawaii

Hawaiian Bird Statistics

• When human beings first found and settled Hawaii, it is believed that there were more than 140 different species of birds on the various islands, according to the University of Hawaii. There were 80 species of land birds, four species of sea birds and 29 species of waterbirds. All were endemic, meaning they were found nowhere else in the world. Today, however, the majority of species found on the islands of Hawaii are alien species.

Human Encroachment

• Though Hawaii started out with many diverse species of endemic birds, the New York Times reported that human encroachment has done considerable damage to many different species. Of the more than 140 species of birds present when humans first colonized the Hawaiian islands, over half are now extinct. Of the species still left alive, almost all are considered endangered species, which is more than any other state in the United States.

Lava Flows

• Humans are not the only force doing damage to the natural bird habitats of Hawaii, however. The Hawaiian Islands were formed from erupting volcanoes, and there is still considerable volcanic activity on the islands, which fragments forests. These forest patches formed by the lava are called "kipukas" by the native Hawaiians, and are miniature ecosystems unto themselves. Though lava poses little threat to birds, the environmental destruction, coupled with human encroachment, does, according to the Michigan Tech News.

The State Bird

• There are many birds in Hawaii, but the state bird is the Nene, which is also known as the Hawaiian goose. Like many of the other endemic bird species of Hawaii, the Nene was once very close to extinction. Conservation efforts, however, have boosted the Nene population, which is now in the hundreds. The Nene are similar to a Canadian goose.