09/24/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/24/2024 12:28
JOSH GREEN, M.D. GOVERNOR |
DAWN CHANG |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sept. 24, 2024
WHY YOU SHOULD CARRY A TOWEL AND A BOX IN YOUR CAR THIS TIME OF YEAR
Click on photo to view video
(HONOLULU) - It's for the bird's sake. From now, until mid-December people across Hawai'i are being encouraged to have a small towel and box in their vehicles in the event they spot a seabird that has fallen to the ground. People can also help by using bird-safe lights at homes and businesses.
Every fall, young seabirds leave their nest to take their first flight toward the ocean and can become disoriented by artificial light, collide with man-made structures, or become exhausted and "fall out," where they remain vulnerable to automobiles and predators.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) and licensed wildlife rehabilitation organizations like Save Our Shearwaters and the Hawai'i Wildlife Center, work together to protect seabirds that need help during fallout season.
In a small corner of the Honolulu Zoo, Rachael Sitzer of the Hawai'i Wildlife Center is preparing for the busy season. Last year, on O'ahu alone, the center took in more than 700 fallen seabirds.
"Every single bird, in our eyes, needs a full veterinary evaluation whether or not they appear healthy," Sitzer explains. "Whether or not they need extensive, actual medical care is determined during the exam. That includes checking things like waterproofing of their feathers if they got contaminated, that's not something the bird is going to know is wrong with it. So, they might be acting fine, but actually, if you send them out to sea like that they could drown. So, every bird needs to be evaluated by a medical professional."
While there are more than 20 species of seabirds that nest in Hawai'i, the concern during fallout season pertains mostly to seabirds protected under state and federal law: 'a'o (Newell's shearwater), 'ua'u (Hawaiian petrel), akē'akē (Band-rumped storm-petrel), 'ua'u kani (wedge-tailed shearwater) and ʻou (Bulwer's petrel).
Last week, Sitzer was caring for a couple of Bulwer's petrels, which are among the earliest to experience fall out.
Sitzer said, "At this point in the year, we're still having fuzzy chicks in the nest that might be starting to venture from their burrows a little bit, so we want to make sure that we're not taking a chick unnecessarily that doesn't need help. But certainly, if we're getting toward November and you find a bird in your yard, your driveway, in the street, your parking lot, or struggling in the water to stay afloat, or on the beach staying in the same spot a long time, those are all indications that a bird might need help."
Wildlife rehabilitators and federal and state experts say being able to recognize these signs is important. They recommend preparing in advance by having boxes handy in your car and at your house. Poke holes in them for ventilation and have a clean towel at the bottom. Also have a clean towel or a piece of cloth to place over the bird and gently pick it up around the body and place it in the box. Finally, know where the certified drop-off sites are on your particular island (see link below).
It's the bird version of the three R's: Recognize, Respond, Rehab.
Recognize:
Respond:
Rehab:
Prior to any bird being released, Sitzer added, "We have a really long list of criteria that all the birds have to meet in order to be considered releasable. Once we feel they meet all that criteria we take them to a controlled release site where we can safely let them fly out to sea. But sometimes these fledglings don't want to go. They might not feel ready, so we just give them the time that they need physically and mentally in order to go out to sea."
Simple changes at home or at your business can help reduce the potential for seabirds to confuse artificial lights with natural moonlight.
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RESOURCES
(All images/video courtesy: DLNR)
HD video - Hawai'i Wildlife Center, Honolulu Zoo (Sept. 19, 2024):
Photographs - Hawai'i Wildlife Center, Honolulu Zoo (Sept. 19, 2024):
Lighting tips and to find the closest wildlife center visit: https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/wildlife/seabird-fallout-season/
Media Contact:
Dan Dennison
Communications Director