An archival image of an ʻuaʻu, or Hawaiian petrel. Courtesy of CreativeCommons.
The sound of the ʻuaʻu, or Hawaiian petrel (Pterodroma sandwichensis) was heard on Maunakea for the first time in more than 50 years, thanks to research funded by the University of Hawaiʻi Office of Maunakea Management and the hard work of the UH Hilo Listening Observatory for Hawaiian Ecosystems Bioacoustics Lab.
The ʻuaʻu forage at sea and fly inland after sunset to build underground nests in higher elevation areas throughout the Hawaiian Islands, including Maunaloa on Hawaiʻi Island, Kaua‘i, Haleakalā on Maui and Lana‘ihale on Lana‘i.
The state and federally listed endangered species are highly susceptible to introduced predators such as cats and mongooses when they are nesting.
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“Finding ʻuaʻu on Maunakea has been a very challenging and rewarding experience,” said UH Hilo graduate student Bret Nainoa Mossman, who along with UH Hilo researcher Patrick Hart have been looking and listening for the seabirds and ʻōpeʻapeʻa, or Hawaiian hoary bats, at high elevations on Maunakea. “For me, it is a feeling of relief and hope to know that the ʻuaʻu of Maunakea have been able to survive despite all of the challenges they face and it is heartening to know that this species is still here for future generations to see and appreciate.”
The ʻuaʻu has been detected acoustically since 2018 at many locations near Maunakea’s Puʻukanakaleonui. In addition, a dead ʻuaʻu was recently found in the forest reserve above Puʻukanakaleonui on the eastern slope of Red Hill. Rediscovering ‘ua’u on Maunakea indicates the species likely continues to use the mountain as a nesting site.
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