The first band-rumped storm petrel fledgling was photographed at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
The national park posted a video of the region’s first on Tuesday.
The National Park Service said the nocturnal seabird emerged from its high-elevation lair on Mauna Loa. The volcano erupted a month later.
Hawaii detection dog Slater found the burrow. Slater found the burrow with the help of trainer and handler Michelle Reynolds.
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Wildlife cameras were deployed when Slater found the nests.
Charlotte Forbes Perry says this is Hawaii Volcanoes National Park’s first ʻakēʻakē nest. The University of Hawaii Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit employs scientist Forbes Perry.
“Park biologists have known about ʻakēʻakē on Mauna Loa since the 1990s. During 2019 acoustic surveillance, ʻakē{akē burrow sounds indicated nesting. Forbes Perry said they’re hard to find because their nest places don’t have guano.
The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service provides Forbes Perry and her crew access to study seabirds in her park via a permit.
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Contains Cat-Proof Fence for Seabirds
Hawaii has only two ʻakēʻakē nests: Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and the U.S. Army Garrison Pōhakuloa Training Area.
The park authorities claimed the burrows were not threatened by the present eruption of Mauna Loa. The park’s 644-acre cat-proof fence protects them.
Hawaii faces mostly non-native barn owl predation. However, cats and mongooses serve as hazards, as well as confusion from artificial lights.
The band-rumped storm petrel is named for its large white tail band. They are tiny and are ash black.
Island nesters. They’re mostly at sea.
150,000 people live worldwide. The American Bird Conservancy reports 240 Hawaii pairs.
Two active volcanoes—Kīlauea and Mauna Loa—are in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
On August 1, 1916, the park opened. Hawaii National Park. Hawaii Volcanoes and Haleakalā National Park split it.
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For weeks, Mauna Loa has erupted, threatening a major roadway. The volcano volume is estimated at 18,000 cubic miles. Its top is 125 feet lower than Mauna Kea.
Scientists estimate Mauna Loa has erupted for 700,000 years. It may have risen above sea level 400,000 years ago.