Pacific Rim Conservation

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Pacific Rim Conservation

Pacific Rim Conservation is dedicated to studying and conserving the biota of the Pacific region. We

Pacific Rim Conservation provides biological research and management services to government agencies, non-profit organizations, landowners, and a variety of other groups throughout the Hawaiian Islands and the Pacific region. We specialize in avian research of Pacific Island birds and design and implement research projects, conduct surveys, write management plans, provide project coordination serv

ices and conduct predator control and/or eradications. We strive to publish our results whenever possible in the peer reviewed literature and have over 90 publications to date.

06/22/2026

Did you know an ʻĀ (Red-footed B***y) pair often invests nearly 200 days in raising a single chick?

These seabirds are monogamous and often return to breed at their natal colony. ʻĀ build nests in trees or shrubs using sticks and vegetation and typically lay just one egg each year.

After an incubation period of about 45 days, chicks remain in the nest for 95–100 days before fledging, and adults often continue feeding them for up to two months after fledging!

Like many other seabird species, each successful ‘Ā chick requires a significant investment of time and energy and fresh seafood deliveries from the parents!

06/19/2026

Happy World Albatross Day!

In 2020, the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP) designated June 19 as World Albatross Day. This year’s theme is Habitat Restoration, highlighting the importance of restoring and protecting the places albatross and other seabirds need to thrive.

Albatross, like all seabirds, face significant threats, including invasive predators, fisheries bycatch, plastic pollution, habitat loss and degradation, and climate change and sea level rise. PRC has done extensive work with Laysan and Black-footed albatrosses for many years, conducting translocations of eggs and chicks, monitoring reproductive success at several colonies, constructing mammalian exclusion fences to protect nest sites, and restoring habitat within protected areas.

We are incredibly grateful to do all of this work in partnership with mission-driven organizations who care as deeply about albatross conservation and biodiversity restoration as we do. Mahalo to our many partners, funders, and friends who have supported our projects over the years.

Mahalo for following our page and helping spread awareness about these remarkable seabirds and the threats they face. By increasing awareness, we hope to inspire connection, stewardship, and action.

Learn more about World Albatross Day, past and present, here: https://www.acap.aq/world-albatross-day/wad2026-habitat-restoration

🎥: Robby Kohley

06/18/2026

PSA: A Seabird Chick Alone Is Not Necessarily Abandoned 🐣

A few weeks ago there was an unfortunate incident involving a Koa'e 'Ula (Red-tailed tropicbird) in the colony we monitor near Halona Point on O'ahu.

A concerned citizen saw this koa'e 'ula chick alone, and believing it had been abandoned, attempted to feed the chick by placing fish scraps and bird seed in the nest. When the chick did not eat, they brought it to the Honolulu Zoo.

Staff at the zoo's Hawaii Wildlife Center facility contacted Eric VanderWerf, who was able to identify the chick and nest based on photos. The chick was safely returned to its nest and successfully fledged about 2 weeks later.

We're grateful this incident had a happy ending, but we'd like use this as an opportunity to raise awareness about seabird behavior. Although well-intentioned, interventions like this can unintentionally endanger wildlife.

It is common for the young of many seabirds (including tropicbirds, albatross, petrels, and shearwaters) to be left unattended in the nest, sometimes for several days. These chicks are not abandoned, this is normal behavior. It requires the efforts of both parents to provide enough food for the growing chick, so they must leave it at the nest by itself.

Chicks are more vulnerable to predators when alone, but they do not need to be, and should not be, fed by people. Placing food on the ground near nests can also attract predators such as mongooses, feral cats, and rats, and thus places the chick in greater danger.

At the same time, we do recognize that sometimes seabirds do need our help:

🐣 Manu-o-Kū (white tern) chicks found on the ground or injured manu-o-kū should be reported to the Manu-o-Kū Hotline at (808) 379-7555. Because Manu-o-Kū nest year-round, this can happen at any time.

🐣 During fallout season (September–December), seabird fledglings may become disoriented by lights and end up on roads or in other unsafe areas.

If you find a downed native bird and are unsure whether it needs help, please contact the appropriate wildlife professionals on your island: https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/wildlife/seabird-fallout-season/

06/17/2026

🔊 Turn up the volume for this one! 🤩

Our Kauaʻi crew has once again been treated to the sights and sounds of the beautiful Kermadec petrel during night time auditory surveys at Nihoku this year!

While these surveys primarily focus on monitoring ‘Ua‘u (Hawaiian petrels) and ‘A‘o (Newell’s shearwaters), the Kermadecs are always an excellent bonus!

Kermadec petrels are only known to breed in the Southern Hemisphere, making their regular activity within the Nihoku predator-exclusion fence at Kīlauea Point National Wildlife Refuge especially exciting. Our team has conducted extensive ground searches for signs of nesting activity, as well as deployed both artificial burrows and game cameras in areas where the birds have been spotted on the ground.

📸 & 🔉: Dylan Blanchard

06/12/2026

We’re so excited to introduce you all to the newest member of the PRC ʻohana, Lydia Best! 💙🐣

Lydia joined our Oʻahu team in June as a Conservation Technician. In her role, she’ll be working to protect native wildlife by removing invasive predators within the new mammalian exclusion fence at James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge, as well as monitoring native waterbird and seabird species.

Lydia earned her BS in Zoology from North Carolina State University in 2021, along with a double minor in Wildlife Science and Environmental Science. Since graduating, she’s gained fieldwork experience through seasonal positions in North Carolina, Hawaiʻi, Colorado, and Georgia.

Most recently, Lydia worked as a Kupu CLDP intern with USFWS at James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge. We’re so lucky to have her on our team where she continues to play a vital role in conservation efforts across the refuge!

Please join us in giving Lydia a warm welcome to PRC! 🌊🫶🌿💙

06/11/2026

The ka‘upu chicks are growing like weeds! 🌱

Meet E555, the offspring of our superstar translocated ka‘upu (Black-footed Albatross) pair, V666 and V434.

From 2017–2021, we translocated more than 100 ka‘upu chicks from Tern Island and Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge to James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge. By late 2025, 35 translocated ka‘upu had returned to JCNWR as adults, and we expect that number to keep rising!

In 2024, V666 and V434 made history by successfully raising and fledging their first chick, E999 - the first wild ka‘upu to fledge from Oʻahu in more than 400 years!

Now, their second chick, E555, is growing up fast and looking strong within the safety of a predator-exclusion fence. 🖤

06/09/2026

Mahalo to everyone who joined us on Saturday for the World Oceans Day event at Kīlauea Point National Wildlife Refuge!

We are so grateful for the opportunity to connect with our community, share our passion for seabird conservation, highlight ways we can work together to support healthier oceans, and try to inspire the next generation of environmental stewards 🫶

Thank you for talking story with us and for doing your part to protect our oceans and wildlife 🌊🐣💙

06/05/2026

Egg-cellent news from Nihoku: we have an active ‘A‘o nest! 🥚❤

2026 marks the third consecutive season that this ‘A‘o (Newell's shearwater; NESH) pair have nested inside in the Nihoku predator exclusion fence at Kīlauea Point National Wildlife Refuge. The male of this pair was translocated to Nihoku as a chick in 2018, while the female was socially attracted to the site.

In 2024, the pair marked a huge milestone for the project and fledged the first wild ‘A‘o chick from Nihoku. We’re hopeful they’ll be successful again this season!

To lean more about the Nihoku Ecosystem Restoration Project, visit www.nihoku.org

06/04/2026

🌊 Come see us at Kīlauea Point National Wildlife Refuge this Saturday! 👋

Join us on Saturday, June 6, from 10:00 AM–4:00 PM as we celebrate World Oceans Day a few days early at Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge (KPNWR)!

There will be:
✨ FREE refuge admission
🖌️ Keiki crafts
🎨 Local artists
🌿 Conservation organization outreach

Stop by our table to meet our Kaua'i staff and learn about the incredible seabirds that call KPNWR home, the threats these birds face out at sea, and the amazing work being done to protect them!

Entrance is free but reservations are required. Reserve your spot here: https://www.recreation.gov/ticket/300018/ticket/10088171?fbclid=IwY2xjawSNqzZleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETF0MmR0TzA1V0gxeFAxTEVMc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHhBGmJR9mGU7Vt7I-DzWlEAyVqSAHR1VV1MgCeujtFkC6JSSgKGjBF6Rdx2F_aem_FcVv12-Odguf_HlR7dzZrg

We hope to see you there! 🫶

06/02/2026

We’re excited to share that the O'ahu ʻakihikēʻehiʻale have fledged!

From 2018–2022, our translocation team moved 110 ʻakihikēʻehiʻale (Tristram’s storm-petrel) chicks from Tern Island in Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument to James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge (JCNWR).

Translocated birds first returned in 2020 and began breeding in 2022. This season, 3 wild ʻakihikēʻehiʻale chicks successfully fledged from our growing seabird colony at JCNWR!

Establishing a colony on a higher island helps safeguard the species against sea level rise, which threatens colonies on low-lying islands like the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Each chick that fledges gives us hope for a more resilient future for this special species 🫶

Address

Honolulu, HI
96822

Telephone

(808) 377-7114

Website

http://www.pacificrimconservation.org/

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