The 118th CBC in Hawai’i and the Pacific Islands

The holiday season of 2017/18 was a rainy one in the Hawaiian Islands, and unfortunately a few of the local CBCs coincided with bad weather and suffered deminished results. While the storms affected some counts, participation for certain others, such as Waimea Circle on Kaua`i, saw the biggest turnout in many years. 

Highlights for seabirds this year included seven Tristram’s Storm Petrel on Midway Atoll; nest-boxes had been put out for the species earlier in the season. Great Frigatebirds, an omen of stormy weather in Hawai`i, amassed a high count of 61 birds on the Kapa`a Circle, Kaua`i. On Johnston Atoll, the 4748 Red-footed Boobies added up to a record number. 

What is it about geese? Nationwide, most species’ populations have been increasing dramatically, and now the endangered Nene (Hawaiian Goose) has belatedly joined the upward trend. Record counts for Nene were reported from the two Kaua`i circles—28 geese for Wa`imea and 525 for Kapa`a—and from North Kona, on the Big Island, 60 Nene. While these figures might be partly attributed to increased participation and coverage, still the numbers are impressive! Another endangered waterfowl species, the Laysan Duck, is also increasing, with a high count of 336 birds for the recently-established population on Midway. For Common Gallinules, the count of 336 at Kapa`a and 16 on the Waipi`o Circle, O`ahu were unusually high.  

Vagrant waterfowl this year included a Tundra Swan on the Kapa`a Circle; a Snow Goose on Lana`i; two Garganey and a Blue-winged Teal on the Waipi`o Circle, O`ahu; and three Bufflehead on Midway. 

Relatively large numbers of White-faced Ibis showed up:  six on the Waipi`o Circle, 10 on the `Iao Circle, Maui, and five on the North Kona Cicle, Hawai`i Island. A Gray-tailed Tattler, an Asian species, appeared on the Midway count. The five Bristle-thighed Curlew on the Honolulu Circle were a high count. Gulls this year included a Laughing Gull on the Waimea Circle, a Bonaparte’s Gull on the Waipi`o Circle, and a Ring-billed Gull on the North Kona Circle. A Peregrine Falcon was reported from Midway, and one or more Short-eared Owls were noted during the count week on Johnston Atoll. 

Once again, native Hawaiian forest birds were reported in low numbers. The highlight was 10 `Akiapola`au, an endangered Hawaiian honeycreeper, on the Keauhou segment of the Volcano Circle, where participants were treated to an encounter between two family groups in the koa trees overhead, in addition to other scattered birds elsewhere. 

Naturalized bird species continue their inexorable march as documented by the CBC. The infamous feral chickens of Kaua`i, a Polynesian introduction, racked up a score of 271 birds on the Waimea Circle. An eye-popping 530 Feral Pigeons commuted back and forth to West Maui sea-cliffs on the `Iao Circle. Spreading westward on O`ahu, the Rose-ringed Parakeet added 53 birds to the Waipi`o count. Other parrot high counts were 39 Red-crowned Parrots (Amazons) and 60 Red-masked Parakeets (Conures) on the Honolulu Circle. The Japanese Bush-Warbler, normally rather quiet this time of year, surprised Lana`i counters with a total of 26 birds. 

On the Waimea count, Saffron Finches, newly established on Kaua`i, reached 13 birds, but that was nothing to the 785 birds on the Big Island’s North Kona Circle, truly a colorful sight! Lastly, a lone Orange-cheeked Waxbill, now rare on O`ahu, appeared on the Honolulu circle.  

The five Mariana count circles reported some unusual vagrants this season:  an American Wigeon on the Southern Guam Circle, with two more on Rota; a Garganey, a Eurasian Coot, and a Latham Snipe all on Southern Guam.  That count circle also reported an extraordinarily high count of five Common Ringed Plover. Five Great Egrets and four Sanderlings were unusual for Rota, but best of all was the high count of 34 Rota White-eye, endemic to this small island.