Birding

Birds make up the majority of the wildlife you'll see at Haleakala National Park.

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Birding Details

Birds make up the majority of the wildlife you'll see at Haleakala National Park. While there are a number of common birds, such as cattle egrets and frigate birds, the park is known for two endemic residents, the Hawaiian petrel, also known by its Hawaiian name ʻuaʻu (pronounced oo-A-oo), and the Hawaiian goose, popularly known by its Hawaiian name nēnē (pronounced nay-nay). Both types of birds were once common in Hawaii but are now endangered due to loss of habitat for land development, degradation of the land by feral goats and pigs, and predation by introduced mongooses, feral cats, rats, and dogs. The largest remaining nesting colony of Hawaiian petrels is located at the top of Haleakala, with an estimated 450 to 650 breeding pairs between here and the West Maui Mountains. The birds are about 16 inches tall; the birds' head, tail and wings are all black. Their calls can be heard at night in their nesting colony and sound much like their Hawaiian name, "oo-A-oo." The petrels are migratory seabirds and fly over land at night, possibly navigating by the stars. The Hawaiian goose also nests at Haleakala. The nene is Hawaii's state bird; the geese are about two feet tall from head to tail, and their webbed feet are adapted to walking on lava. The nene is the only surviving type of endemic Hawaiian goose out of six that once lived here. Out of a statewide population of over 1,300, 450 are on Maui, and 250 to 300 of those are in Haleakala. If you see a nene, do not give it food or water, and please do not approach too near the birds — if it moves when you move, you're too close. They're often spotted near the Park Headquarters Visitor Center. Another famed resident of Haleakala is Hawaii's honeycreeper family of birds, all closely related, but which have evolved into strikingly different species. Their common ancestors were likely lone, accidental arrivals to the islands. Now, although genetically related, this family of birds displays broad physical variations.

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