The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed downlisting the Hawaiian stilt, or
ae’o, from endangered to threatened under the Endangered Species Act. It would be the third Hawaiian bird to be reclassified in the past few years after the nene in 2019 and the Hawaiian hawk in 2020. Over the past three decades, a strong network of conservation actions throughout Hawaiʻi has resulted in more wetland areas being managed compatible with the species’ needs. The State of Hawaiʻi has been a key partner, along with efforts on National Wildlife Refuges, to protect, manage, and conserve the significant wetland habitats and supporting aeʻo populations over the last 30 years, the federal agency said.
mtanji@mauinews.com
An aeâo or Hawaiian stilt dips its beak into the water at Kanaha Pond while searching for food Saturday morning. A federal conservation agency hopes to downlist the species from endangered to threatened. The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photos
After years of encouraging trends for a bird that nests at Kealia and Kanaha ponds on Maui, a federal conservation agency hopes to downlist the species from endangered to threatened.
Survey data and a recent population viability analysis indicate that the population of the ae’o, or Hawaiian stilt, has been “stable to increasing for several decades” across the state, with the trend expected to continue as long as conservation efforts are ongoing, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, which is proposing the change in the bird’s status.