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| Hilo, Hawaii News, Sports, & Information |
Saturday, May 25, 2013 |
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Posted: Tuesday, June 26th, 2012 8:30 AM HST
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New findings of 3 Hawaii endangered forest birds
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HILO, Hawaii (AP) — For the first time in 30 years, three of the Big Island's rarest endangered forest birds have been found at lower elevations than expected at Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge.
Scientists say the rediscovery gives hope to recovery efforts.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Geological Survey said Monday scientists heard songs of the Hawaii creeper and akepa within a mile of where they were last seen in 1977. They also heard and saw at least one endangered akiapolaau at 1,000 feet lower in elevation from previous sightings in the 1970s.
One-third of the nation's endangered birds are in Hawaii. They're threatened by invasive plants and animals and mosquito-borne diseases.
The 38,000-acre refuge on the slopes of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa is home 14 native bird species.
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