‘I‘iwi numbers are dwindling as habitat disappears

The native iiwi bird may soon be listed as a “threatened” species.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing the listing under the Endangered Species Act in light of recent population declines and a growing threat to the bird’s native habitat by the spread of avian malaria and the loss of forests to the disease known as rapid ohia death.

The native red honeycreeper lives on Kauai, Maui and Hawaii island, and its numbers have declined dramatically, although there are no precise counts due to varied methods used to calculate population over the years.

Scientists in 2013 estimated the number of iiwi, or Drepanis coccinea, at 605,418 statewide. But they report a reduced presence in areas such as the Alakai Plateau on Kauai, where mosquitoes with avian malaria are spreading into iiwi habitat, said Eben Paxton, an avian ecologist with the Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center.

“They’re declining fast on Kauai,” Paxton said Monday.

Scientists note that for infected iiwi, avian malaria is 95 percent fatal.

The iiwi relies on habitat with native ohia trees, but the rapidly growing fungus that causes “rapid ohia death” is wiping out the plant in some forests.

“With focused and timely action by local and federal partners, we still have the opportunity to save the iiwi, as well as the other plants and animals that share its habitat,” said Mary Abrams, field supervisor for the Pacific Islands Fish and Wildlife Service.

“The proposed listing of this bird — once so abundant across the Hawaiian Islands — should be a call to action for all Hawaiians and others to address the threats posed to all our forest birds,” Abrams said.

Paxton said having the species designated as “threatened” would help in finding ways to combat mosquitoes with avian malaria, including reducing the number of mosquitoes through biotechnology. One way scientists have tried to control mosquitoes is by releasing into the population sterile male mosquitoes or male mosquitoes with bacteria that make eggs infertile.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will be accepting public comments about the proposal until Nov. 21.

Copies of the proposed rule and associated draft iiwi species status report may be downloaded from the agency’s website at fws.gov/pacificislands/.

Comments may be sent by one of these methods:

>> Federal eRulemaking Portal at regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments under Docket No. FWS-R1-ES-2016-0057.

>> Via U.S. mail or hand delivery to Public Comments Processing, Attn: FWS–R1–ES–2016–0057, Division of Policy, Performance, and Management Programs; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Serv-ice, MS; BPHC; 5275 Leesburg Pike; Falls Church, VA 22041–3803.