Maui Nui Seabird Recovery Project

Maui Nui Seabird Recovery Project Maui Nui Seabirds is a project of PCSU of the UH Manoa in association with Hawai'i DLNR/DOFAW

Maui Nui Seabird Recovery Project (MNSRP) began in March of 2006 when project staff documented the presence of a significant breeding colony of endangered Hawaiian Petrels (HAPE) in the upper reaches of the Lāna‘i watershed. This colony is the second largest known breeding colony of HAPE in Hawaii. Project staff began work to protect the seabirds by removing predators and habitat altering plants t

hat were taking over the breeding colony. On Maui and Moloka’i MNSRP continues to search for seabird colonies, provide protections where funding and staffing permit and to provide public education about the importance of seabirds in our natural environment. The project collaborates with researchers, managers and regulators to focus efforts as well as possible to benefit our seabirds.

08/14/2026

Nearly all species, including humans, are negatively impacted by artificial light at night. Maui County passed Ordinance 5434 to mitigate the impact of artificial light on our community, including seabirds and sea turtles. But the awesome thing is that we ALL get to benefit from more intentional lighting that is:

- low to the ground
- directed down, fully shielded
- is warm-toned—emitting less harmful long wavelengths

Follow the link in our bio to learn more about Maui’s requirements for outdoor lighting and which properties are exempt.

If you notice noncompliant lighting in your area, please confirm that the property is not exempt and kindly report it using the County of Maui COMConnect app.

And mahalo to the properties that have already adjusted their lights accordingly🙌

A hui hou to a longstanding 🔨 of MNSRP! It’s hard to sum up five years of hard work and sacrifice in one little post. Jo...
08/03/2026

A hui hou to a longstanding 🔨 of MNSRP! It’s hard to sum up five years of hard work and sacrifice in one little post. Josh has been apart of the project for a long time and has worked so diligently, often doing many not-so-glamorous tasks to protect our native seabirds.

Josh joined the MNSRP ‘ohana in 2021 for an internship before graduating from UH Maui College. His goal was to gain experience to prepare for a career preserving Maui’s natural resources. From there, he supported MNSRP through his Kupu ʻĀina Corp service, and finally joined the team full time as our Seabird Protection Associate.

MNSRP and the seabirds have benefited greatly from his compassion and hard work! We can never replace Josh, but we stand behind him as he pursues new challenges in his continuing career of protecting our natural resources. We’re so thankful for you, Josh, and can’t wait to work together as partners in protecting native Hawaiian species!

(Also, it wasn’t in Josh’s nature to jump in front of a camera, so we had to get a little creative in the photos we chose to celebrate him…)

07/23/2026

It takes two to tango. It also takes two to successfully incubate an egg!

Shearwater and petrel pairs take turns with each other incubating their egg. Each bird sits on the egg, sometimes for days at a time while their partner forages for food on the open ocean. ‘Ua‘u have been known to go for two weeks on the egg before their partner relieves them!

Thatʻs a ton of energy these birds are expelling to keep the egg safe and secure. Shoutout to these manu for this sacrifice!💪

07/16/2026

Another season of radar is wrapped up! What’s next? Processing all the data we collected😅

Mahalo nui to our partners Haleakalā National Park and Hawaiian Electric for helping make this happen this year. And a big mahalo to the MNSRP crew and all the volunteers who spent many of their June nights on the side of the road tracking the birds!

06/12/2026

Look who's back! After feeding at sea, our 'u'au kani are returning to their burrows to lay a single egg. They aren't the only seabirds laying eggs at this time of year, but they are the most visible to the public. Look at how vulnerable this egg is barely tucked away off of a path! Protection from predators is even more critical at this time and MNSRP works diligintly to keep these expectant parents and their precious egg safe. You can help too, by obeying signs to avoid 'u'ua kani nesting areas. Be on the look out!

MNSRP would like to welcome our newest Kupu Service Member, Kelly McCandless! Kelly grew up in Santa Cruz, California a...
06/09/2026

MNSRP would like to welcome our newest Kupu Service Member, Kelly McCandless! Kelly grew up in Santa Cruz, California and received a Bachelor of Science in Biology with a minor in chemistry from Oregon State University. While familiar with Maui, this is her first time living and working on-island. She is grateful for the opportunity to work in conservation and to continue learning from the scientists, communities, and ecosystems that make Hawaiʻi such a unique place. When she is not working in the field with us, you can find her out paddling in Kahalui harbor. Welcome to the team, Kelly!

PAM is Passive Acoustic Monitoring and it is an invaluable tool for capturing data on seabird populations. During the b...
06/03/2026

PAM is Passive Acoustic Monitoring and it is an invaluable tool for capturing data on seabird populations. During the breeding season (May-Sep) we deploy song meters across the island. These devices record the calls of the birds at set times and durations. As the recordings are collected, they are sent to the LOHE lab at UH Hilo where they are analyzed.

Who are we listening for?
We are listening in particular for ‘akē’akē, but we have added ‘a’o and ‘u’au to our monitoring.

What are we listening for?
We are listening not just for specific calls indicating the presence of a bird species, but for their density. A high call density could indicate a nesting area, an important area to monitor and protect!

3 Cheers for PAM!

The Maui Nui Seabird Recovery Project is searching for a Field Biology Associate to join ourteam and support our mission...
05/29/2026

The Maui Nui Seabird Recovery Project is searching for a Field Biology Associate to join our
team and support our mission; locating & protecting indigenous seabirds and their habitats.
Members of our crew work at diverse field sites, carrying out critical tasks such as seabird
monitoring, invasive predator control, and habitat restoration. Project work also involves a
variety of management tools & techniques, including passive acoustic monitoring, ornithological
radar, and game camera analysis. If you value teamwork, enjoy rewarding days in the field, and
are passionate about conservation in Hawaiʻi, we would like to talk with you!
Primary qualifications include a B.S. degree and 1 year of experience in a natural resource
related field. Ideal candidates possess strong knowledge of Hawaiian ecosystems and
conservation practices. For further details and application instructions, visit
https://www.rcuh.com/work/careers/ and search for job ID #51339. Apply by June 5!
MNSRP is a project of the Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit of the Research Corporation of the
University of Hawaiʻi, Manoa.

Have you seen this amazing vehicle?! It's our ornithological radar truck! Equipped with a marine radar, it helps us mo...
05/27/2026

Have you seen this amazing vehicle?! It's our ornithological radar truck!

Equipped with a marine radar, it helps us monitor seabird populations, specifically a'o and 'ua'u. These birds are found only in Hawai'i and unfortunately both species are endangered. As night falls, they return from the sea and fly to their remote nests high up Haleakala, a movement that we can witness on the radar. So throughout June, keep an eye out for our truck as we track these very special birds!

Wait! Where did the ‘ua’u kani go?Didn’t we just welcome them back!? Yes! But… These fascinating seabirds return to Maui...
05/21/2026

Wait! Where did the ‘ua’u kani go?

Didn’t we just welcome them back!? Yes! But…

These fascinating seabirds return to Maui Nui to reunite with their mate and spruce up their burrow, but then they turn around and return to sea. Why? Because they are getting ready to welcome an egg! This phenomenon is called the egg-laying exodus. Egg laying takes a significant amount of energy, so to prepare female birds need to feed as much as possible. Their male partners also need additional nutrition, as they help share incubation duties during which time they do not eat. Eat well ‘ua’u kani and we’ll see you soon!

📸 credit: Na'ia Koole

Address

P. O. Box 903
Haliimaile, HI
96768

Opening Hours

Monday 7:30am - 4pm
Tuesday 7:30am - 4pm
Wednesday 7:30am - 4pm
Thursday 7:30am - 4pm
Friday 7:30am - 4pm

Telephone

+18085723500

Website

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