Save Our Shearwaters

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Save Our Shearwaters Save Our Shearwaters rehabilitates all native Hawaiian birds and the Hawaiian hoary bat.

Initiated by the Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources/Division of Forestry and Wildlife in 1979 to respond to the annual grounding of hundreds of light-attracted fledgling shearwaters and petrels. Save Our Shearwaters has evolved into a multispecies rehabilitation effort. The Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative (KIUC) funds the program with the focus on shearwaters and petrels.

Please take extra precaution with outdoor lights, draw curtains at night, and keep a close eye out for grounded seabirds...
04/11/2026

Please take extra precaution with outdoor lights, draw curtains at night, and keep a close eye out for grounded seabirds around this month’s new moon 🌑🚨 On Kaua‘i, all grounded and injured birds can be reported directly to our team at Save Our Shearwaters. Please give us a call before picking up a grounded bird if possible. Our hotline phone is manned 24/7 and can receive texts!

This time of year, referred to as Fallout Season, seabirds like the ‘a’o, ‘ua‘u kani, and ‘ua‘u embark on their maiden voyage to sea at night, guided by the moon’s illumination. When the moon is absent or but a sliver in the sky 🌒 they are more likely to become disoriented by other bright lights (e.g. lamp posts, porch lights), and fly towards those instead of the ocean. This disorientation continues until the birds end up on the ground (“fell out” of the sky... fallout!) unable to take flight again. Typically the busiest part of fallout season occurs around the new moon, when artificial lights pose the greatest risk.

A list of available aid stations to drop off a grounded or injured bird on Kaua‘i can be found on our website - saveourshearwaters.org/rescue101.

28/10/2026

Despite what our name and all the content about Fallout Season / shearwaters recently might suggest, we do treat more than just shearwaters 🤗 For instance, we have this kōlea care right now (and they aren’t our only one)!

These incredible shorebirds migrate here all the way from Alaska! That means they fly over 3,000 miles nonstop for over 3-4 days. 🤯 You’ll see these kōlea around until late April or early May when they take that same flight back north. We have two kōlea that forage by our office that come back year after year. Do you have a kōlea who visits your area every year?!
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23/10/2026

Check out this ‘a‘o / Newell’s Shearwater patient diving around our conditioning pool for a rare glimpse into this natural behavior! 🤗

This species of shearwater can dive up to 150 feet! To put in that into perceptive, that means they can dive almost as deep as a 14 story building! 🏙️🤯
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17/10/2026

We have liftoff, I repeat, we have liftoff! ✈️

Since the new moon (October 10th), we’ve admitted 88 ‘a‘o / Newell’s Shearwaters into care and expect to continue admitting them daily for a while longer. Of those 88, 68 have already been rehabilitated and released back out to sea 🎉 Many are still receiving care at our facility.

Mahalo nui loa to every single person that has rescued a bird so far this season! We still have a long way to go until the end of fallout (December 15th). Remember, it’s a marathon, not a sprint! Give us a call - (808) 635-5117 - if you find a downed or injured bird on Kaua‘i and we can help you determine if it needs to be brought to one of our aid stations.
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15/10/2026

In case anyone was wondering what our conditioning pools look like in peak ‘a‘o fallout! 😆Pooling is an essential part of the rehabilitation process for birds that need to forage and swim on open ocean. Pooling allows us to ensure the patient isn’t absorbing any water into their plumage, as that can lead to hypothermia or other issues in the wild.

We carefully check each individual after a pooling session and keep a log to assess the status of their waterproofing. Generally speaking, most birds are able to fix up their plumage all on their own without further intervention after several pooling sessions.

Please see our previous posts for more information on what Fallout Season is and what to do if you find a grounded ‘a‘o / Newell’s Shearwater on Kaua‘i!
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Looks like some birds missed the memo that it’s shearwater season not tropicbird season 😂A reminder that our program acc...
14/10/2026

Looks like some birds missed the memo that it’s shearwater season not tropicbird season 😂

A reminder that our program accepts ALL native birds for rehabilitation not just shearwaters 🤗 While our focus this time of year is on handling a large influx of shearwaters, we are still caring for a variety of native birds.
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Have you seen me?! 👀 This is a series of photos taken by rescuers of grounded ‘a‘o just this past week. If you see this ...
14/10/2026

Have you seen me?! 👀 This is a series of photos taken by rescuers of grounded ‘a‘o just this past week. If you see this specific species on the ground, they need your help! Scroll to see examples of what these birds look like when they are grounded.

They can sometimes be found on your lanai, under your car, pressed against a building, or tucked somewhere that feels safe to them. To think of places they might be, you can ask yourself, “if I were down low, where would I go?” 🤔 What looks like a cozy spot to hole up if you were a shearwater and couldn’t get off the ground? Remember these birds are burrow nesters - they LOVE a small dark space, it makes them feel safe.

In the last two days alone we’ve admitted 44 birds, the vast majority of which were grounded ‘a‘o. Give us a call if you find one on Kaua‘i and we can direct you to the nearest drop off location. Check the link in our bio for more rescue information!
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11/10/2026

Fallout season is fully underway, with fledgling ‘a‘o being admitted daily to SOS. We’ve been asked, what exactly happens when they get to SOS? Well, every bird gets a full health check on arrival. That includes a head to toe examination, bloodwork, and more to assess their condition. If they are in good health, they go on our conditioning pools so we can assess their waterproofing. These birds in particular dive >150ft and we need to ensure that none of their plumage is absorbing water so they can handle those deep ocean dives for food! If all checks are within normal range for the species, we quickly apply a federal band and release them back to the wild! If there are any issues (not waterproof, thin, dehydrated, injury, etc.) we do our best to treat those with the goal of releasing to the wild.

In this clip, one of our staff is checking the patients pupillary light reflex (PLR), and this particular patient had some opinions about that. Some patients can be more vocal than others and this can be a sign of stress. We monitor them carefully throughout their exams and place them back into a cool, dark, quiet area if needed before finishing their examinations if they exhibit signs of high stress.

Mahalo nui loa to everyone in our community who has been rescuing these birds this week as we head into a new moon tonight! Keep those eyes peeled and give us a call/text if you’ve found a grounded native bird.
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A new moon is coming! Take extra precaution with outdoor lights, draw curtains at night, and keep a close eye out for gr...
06/10/2026

A new moon is coming! Take extra precaution with outdoor lights, draw curtains at night, and keep a close eye out for grounded seabirds! 🌑🚨 On Kaua‘i, all grounded and injured birds can be reported directly to our team at Save Our Shearwaters. Please give us a call before picking up a grounded bird if possible. Our hotline phone is manned 24/7 and can receive texts!

This time of year, referred to as Fallout Season, seabirds like the ‘a’o, ‘ua‘u kani, and ‘ua‘u embark on their maiden voyage to sea at night, guided by the moon’s illumination. When the moon is absent or but a sliver in the sky 🌒 they are more likely to become disoriented by other bright lights (e.g. lamp posts, porch lights), and fly towards those instead of the ocean. This disorientation continues until the birds end up on the ground (“fell out” of the sky... fallout!) unable to take flight again. Typically the busiest part of fallout season occurs around the new moon, when artificial lights pose the greatest risk.

A list of available aid stations to drop off a grounded or injured bird on Kaua‘i can be found on our website - saveourshearwaters.org/rescue101.

The first fledgling ‘a’o have arrived to kick off the 2026 Fallout Season!What is Fallout Season? This time of year, sea...
04/10/2026

The first fledgling ‘a’o have arrived to kick off the 2026 Fallout Season!

What is Fallout Season? This time of year, seabirds like the ‘a’o / Newell’s Shearwater and ‘ua‘u / Hawaiian Petrels embark on their maiden voyage to sea at night, guided by the moon’s illumination out to sea. When the moon is absent or but a sliver in the sky 🌒 they are more likely to become disoriented by other bright lights (e.g. lamp posts, porch lights), flying towards those lights instead of the ocean. This disorientation continues until the birds end up on the ground (“fell out” of the sky... fallout!) unable to take flight.

Typically the busiest part of fallout season occurs around the new moon, when artificial lights pose the greatest risk. There’s a new moon on October 10th, so it’s time to put this information to good use! Take extra precaution with outdoor lights, draw curtains at night, and keep a close eye out for grounded seabirds! 🌑🚨 We will be posting New Moon Alerts throughout the season so you can help these birds make it out to sea safely. Remember, please call us if you spot a grounded or injured bird. Click the link in our bio labeled “Rescue Information” for more info on what to do if you find a native bird!
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