Oahu Elepaio
The Oahu Elepaio is an endangered forest bird endemic to the island of O‘ahu. Since 1995, we have been doing surveys and management for the Oahu Elepaio in collaboration with the Hawaii Division of Forestry and Wildlife, the U.S. Army, and the Nature Conservancy of Hawaii. We conducted two island-wide surveys, which resulted in the only population estimates for the species (15 88). Research conducted by Dr. Eric VanderWerf while at the University of Hawaii demonstrated that nest predation by alien black rats is the most serious threat to this bird, and that rat control can significantly alleviate this threat. When rats are controlled, twice as many ‘Elepaio pairs successfully raise a chick and fewer females are eaten. Rat control has become the cornerstone of the recovery strategy for this species and has been implemented in many parts of the island by PRC and by the U.S. Army (22 63 76). For more information on this project and on the Oahu Elepaio, visit www.elepaio.org.
We also have conducted long-term ecological research on the Oahu Elepaio. The Oahu Elepaio has evolved over time to nest higher off the ground in response to predation by rats, a remarkable incidence of rapid evolution (82). Our research also has shown that the breeding season of the Oahu Elepaio is flexible and that elepaio will nest in response of rainfall (132 ). We investigated avian pox virus in the Oahu Elepaio, which provided some of the only data on the effects of a disease on a wild bird population (41 63). Elepaio have evolved immunity to this disease, perhaps facilitated by rat control, which has contributed to their recent population growth (151). The Oahu Elepaio is one of few Hawaiian forest birds that is increasing in number and improving in conservation status.
For published results of this work, see:
22 Effects of alien rodent control on demography of the O`ahu `Elepaio, an endangered Hawaiian forest bird.
37 Elepaio “anting” with a garlic snail and a Schinus fruit.
41 Distribution and prevalence of mosquito-borne diseases in O`ahu `Elepaio.
52 Biogeography of `Elepaio: evidence from inter-island song playbacks.
63 Importance of nest predation by alien rodents and avian poxvirus in conservation of Oahu elepaio.
65 Stepping stone speciation in Hawaii’s flycatchers: Molecular divergence supports new island endemics within the elepaio.
76 Variable efficacy of rat control in conserving O’ahu ‘Elepaio populations.
82 Evolution of nesting height in an endangered Hawaiian forest bird in response to a non-native predator.
88 Current distribution and abundance of the O’ahu ‘Elepaio (Chasiempis ibidis).
132 Breeding season shift by the Oahu Elepaio (Chasiempis ibidis) in response to changing rainfall patterns.
151 Improved status of the conservation-reliant Oahu Elepaio through effective management and natural adaptation.
