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Hawaiian endangered species

Black Hawaiian crow
Photo by Guen Ramirez

Hawaiian Crows

‘Alalā
Corvus hawaiiensis

• Extinct in the wild since 2002
• About 100 living in captivity
• Lifespan of about 20 years
• Threatened by habitat loss, avian diseases, non-native predators (cats, rats and small Indian mongoose) and hunting
• Lives in ‘ōhi‘a and acacia koa forests between 1,000 and 8,200 feet elevation
• Consumes native fruits such as ‘ōlapa, ‘ie‘ie and hō‘awa, nectar, flowers, insects, dead animals, eggs and nestlings of other birds

Crested Honeycreeper
Photo by Guen Ramirez

Crested Honeycreeper

‘Akohekohe
Palmeria dolei
• Critically Endangered since 1967
• Population estimated between 3,000 and 4,500
• Unknown lifespan
• Threatened by avian diseases, habitat loss, small population sizes and climate changes
• Lives in wet and damp forests containing ‘ōhi‘a, ‘ōlapa, acacia koa and kāwa‘u
• Consumes insects and nectar from ‘ōhi’a, lehua and other flowers

Hawaiian Hoary Bat
Photo by Guen Ramirez.

Hawaiian Hoary Bat

‘Ōpe’ape’a
Lasiurus semotus
• Endangered since 1970
• Population estimated a few hundred to a few thousand, but overall unknown
• Lifespan of about 2 years
• Threatened by habitat loss, pesticides, structure collision (wind turbines, barbed-wire fences) and predation
• Lives in native and non-native plants such as ‘ōhi’a, pu hala, coconut palms, kukui, kiawe, avocado trees, shower trees and cook pine at low elevations in Hawaii
• Consumes insects such as beetles, moths and flies

Hawaiian monk seal
Photo by Guen Ramirez

Hawaiian Monk Seal

‘Īlio holo i ka uaua
Monachus schauinslandi
• Critically Endangered since 1976
• Population of about 1,600 worldwide
• Lives about 30 years
• Threatened by food limitation, pollution, disease, human-seal interaction (feeding, fishing, disturbance, boat/vehicle strikes, etc.), habitat loss, shark predation and male seal aggression
• Lives in warm, subtropical waters of Hawaii
• Consumes fish, squid, octopuses, shrimp, crabs, lobsters and eels

Hawaiian Moorhen
Photo by Guen Ramirez

Hawaiian Moorhen


‘Alae ‘ula
Himantopus mexicanus knudseni
• Endangered since 1967
• Population of about 450
• Lifespan is unknown but estimated about 10 years • Threatened by habitat loss, avian diseases, pollution, climate change and non-native predators (dogs, cats, rats, small Indian mongoose, cattle egrets, barn owls, and American bullfrogs)
• Lives in lowland wetlands and river valleys on Oahu and Kauai
• Consumes water plants and seeds, grasses, algae, insects and mollusks

Native Yellow Hibiscus
Photo by Guen Ramirez

Native Yellow Hibiscus

Ma’o hau hele
Hibiscus brackenridgei
• Endangered since 1994
• Population of about 100-300
• Lives for over 5 years
• Threatened by invasive plant competition, non-native species predation (deer, cattle, Chinese rose beetle, rats) and wildfires
• Grows in lowland damp or dry forests on Oahu

Ko’oloa’ula
Photo by Guen Ramirez

Ko’oloa’ula

Abutilon menziesii
• Endangered since 1986
• Population of less than 500
• Lives for over 5 years
• Threatened by invasive plant competition, habitat loss, nonnative fungus, wildfires and drought
• Grows in lowland coastal plains and dry forests on Oahu, Maui, Hawai’i and Lanai

O’ahu Tree Snails
Photo by Guen Ramirez

O’ahu Tree Snails

Kāhuli Achatinella
• Critically Endangered since
1981
• Less than 1,000 of A. mustelina living, population of other species unknown
• Lives about 11 years
• Threatened by habitat loss, non-native predators (wild boars, rats, rosy wolfsnails) and low reproductive rates
• Lives in native trees and bushes in Ko‘olau and Waianae on Oahu • Consumes fungus from the leaves of native plants

Hawkbill Sea Turtle
Photo by Guen Ramirez

Hawkbill Sea Turtle

Honu’ea Eretmochelys imbricata
• Critically Endangered since 1970
• Estimated 20,000 to 23,000 nesting females living worldwide, less than 100 living in Hawaii
• Estimated lifespan of 50 years
• Threatened by habitat loss, pollution (fishing gear, plastic materials, oil), climate change, poaching and predation of eggs
• Lives in offshore coral reefs and mangrove estuaries during nesting, algal mats in the open ocean after hatching; found in oceans worldwide
• Consumes sea sponges, corals, algae, small fish, jellyfish, mollusks, crustaceans and sea urchins

False killer whale
Photo by Guen Ramirez.

False Killer Whale


Pseudorca crassidens
• Endangered since 2012
• Less than 200 worldwide
• Lives about 63 years (females) and 58 years (males)
• Threatened by overfishing, hunting, pollution and small population size (reduced genetic diversity)
• Lives in tropical to subtropical waters below 3,300 feet, found around Hawaii, American Samoa, Pacific remote islands, the Gulf of Mexico, the United States West Coast and the Mariana Archipelago
• Consumes fish (tuna, billfish, wahoo, mahimahi) and squid.

Sources: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; Millennium Challenge Corporation; World Wildlife Fund; Hawai’i Wildlife Fund; Sea Turtle Conservancy; Hawai’i Department of Land and Natural Resources; U.S. National Park Service; Pacific Rim Conservation; Bat Conservation International; Animal Diversity Web; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Cornell Lab’s All About Birds; Hawai’i Public Radio; American Bird Conservancy; Native Plants Hawai’i; and the Center for Plant Conservation.