Maui Forest Birds

This channel is about the Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project. We are driven by science and dedicated to the conservation of Hawaii's native forest ecosystems. Formed in 1997, our mission is to develop and implement techniques that recover Maui's endangered birds and to restore their habitats through research and the application of conservation techniques.

We study the breeding success and population demographics of the Kiwikiu (Maui Parrotbill), an endangered Hawaiian honeycreeper with just 500 birds left. The Kiwikiu is only found on Maui and is uniquely adapted to its environment, using it strong powerful bill to pry open branches for insects. We develop and apply novel recovery initiatives for the parrotbill and other species of concern. Additionally, we aim to effectively manage and reduce the impact of non-native invasive species. We are also restoring native forest to increase bird habitat and to eventually re-introduce the Kiwikiu to this newly restored forest.