The Birds of the Hawaiian Islands:
Occurrence, History, Distribution, and Status
Version 1 - 1 January 2009

 Robert L. Pyle and Peter Pyle

NOTE UPDATED VERSION 2 (2017) AVAILABLE HERE

Hawaii Christmas Bird Count Data

More-recent trends in the occurrence of many bird species in Hawaii have been inferred by data collected during Christmas Bird Counts through 2007 (see Introduction for more information). Graphs have been prepared based on five Christmas Counts that have extended consistently for at least 20 consecutive years, at Kapa'a (1971-2007) and Lihue (1972-1992) on Kaua'i, at Waipi'o (1977-2007) and Honolulu (1944-2007) on O'ahu, and at Volcano (1972-2007) on Hawai'i Island. Species were selected based on observations of at least 70 individuals during at least 13 years of the count, and graphs were prepared for species of interest and those counts with trends or discernable cyclic patterns. Regressions were performed on number of birds observed per party hour against year, and significant trends (based on P < 0.05) are reported for species recorded throughout the time frame of the count.

The following table indicates selected species and provides links to graphs when created. In the table, "Increase" and "Decrease" indicate species that either have significant trends throughout the count period, or species with populations that either came into or became extirpated from, respectively, the count circle during the period. "Cyclic" indicates a species that shows apparent cycles, peaks, or periods of low numbers within the count time frame but do not show significant overall linear trends. Links to graphs are provided for species with increasing, decreasing, and cyclic patterns. "No Trend" indicates stable or fluctuating numbers but no significant linear trend or apparent cyclic patterns; graphs were not created for most of these species.

Click on species name for pdf versions of species accounts.

ANATIDAE-PHASIANIDAE
COMMON NAME

Kapa'a 1971-2007

Lihue 1971-1992 Waipi'o 1977-2007 Honolulu 1944-2007 Volcano 1972-2007
Hawaiian Goose Increase      

No Trend

Mallard     No Trend Increase  
Hawaiian Duck Increase No Trend Cyclic Cyclic  
Northern Shoveler     No Trend Cyclic  
Northern Pintail No Trend   No Trend Cyclic  
Green-winged Teal     No Trend    
California Quail         Decrease
Gray Francolin No Trend     Increase  
Erckel Francolin     Cyclic    
Red Junglefowl No Trend Increase      
Kalij Pheasant         Cyclic
Ring-necked Pheasant No Trend No Trend   No Trend  
"Green Pheasant"         Decrease
DIOMEDEIDAE-ARDEIDAE
COMMON NAME

Kapa'a 1971-2007

Lihue 1971-1992 Waipi'o 1977-2007 Honolulu 1944-2007 Volcano 1972-2007
Laysan Albatross Increase        
White-tailed Tropicbird No Trend No Trend     No Trend
Masked Booby       No Trend  
Brown Booby No Trend     Cyclic  
Red-footed Booby Cyclic     No Trend  
Great Frigatebird       Cyclic  
Cattle Egret Cyclic Cyclic Cyclic Cyclic  
Black-cr. Night-Heron No Trend No Trend No Trend Increase  
ACCIPITRIDAE-SCOLOPACIDAE
COMMON NAME

Kapa'a 1971-2007

Lihue 1971-1992 Waipi'o 1977-2007 Honolulu 1944-2007 Volcano 1972-2007
Hawaiian Hawk         No Trend
Common Moorhen Cyclic Cyclic   Cyclic  
Hawaiian Coot Decrease Cyclic Increase Decrease  
Pacific Golden-Plover Decrease No Trend No Trend Increase No Trend
Black-necked Stilt Increase No Trend No Trend Decrease  
Wandering Tattler No Trend No Trend No Trend Decrease  
Ruddy Turnstone No Trend No Trend No Trend Cyclic  
Sanderling     Decrease Cyclic  
Dunlin     Decrease    
LARIDAE-APODIDAE
COMMON NAME

Kapa'a 1971-2007

Lihue 1971-1992 Waipi'o 1977-2007 Honolulu 1944-2007 Volcano 1972-2007
Brown Noddy       No Trend  
Black Noddy       No Trend  
White Tern       Increase  
Pomarine Jaeger       Cyclic  
Rock Pigeon     No Trend No Trend  
Spotted Dove No Trend No Trend Increase Increase No Trend
Zebra Dove Decrease No Trend Increase Cyclic No Trend
Rose-ringed Parakeet       Increase  
Mariana Swiftlet       Increase  
MONARCHIDAE-STURNIDAE
COMMON NAME

Kapa'a 1971-2007

Lihue 1971-1992 Waipi'o 1977-2007 Honolulu 1944-2007 Volcano 1972-2007
'Elepaio     No Trend Decrease No Trend
Sky Lark     Cyclic   Decrease
Red-vented Bulbul     Increase Increase  
Red-whiskered Bulbul     Increase Cyclic  
Japanese Bush-Warbler     Increase Cyclic  
White-rumped Shama Decrease No Trend No Trend Cyclic  
Oma'o         Decrease
Hwamei Decrease No Trend   Decrease No Trend
Red-billed Leiothrix     Increase Cyclic No Trend
Japanese White-eye Decrease Decrease Decrease Cyclic Cyclic
Northern Mockingbird   No Trend No Trend Cyclic  
Common Myna Decrease No Trend No Trend Cyclic No Trend
EMBERIZIDAE-FRINGILLIDAE
COMMON NAME

Kapa'a 1971-2007

Lihue 1971-1992 Waipi'o 1977-2007 Honolulu 1944-2007 Volcano 1972-2007
Yellow-faced Grassquit     No Trend    
Saffron Finch     Increase Cyclic  
Red-crested Cardinal Increase Increase No Trend Increase  
Northern Cardinal Decrease No Trend No Trend Decrease Cyclic
Western Meadowlark Decrease No Trend      
House Finch Decrease No Trend No Trend Increase Decrease
Yellow-fronted Canary       Increase  
Hawai'i 'Amakihi         No Trend
Oahu 'Amakihi     No Trend Decrease  
'Akiapola'au         No Trend
Hawai'i Creeper         Cyclic
'Akepa         Cyclic
'I'iwi         Cyclic
'Apapane     Decrease Decrease Decrease
PASSERIDAE-ESTRILIDAE
COMMON NAME

Kapa'a 1971-2007

Lihue 1971-1992 Waipi'o 1977-2007 Honolulu 1944-2007 Volcano 1972-2007
House Sparrow Decrease No Trend Decrease Cyclic No Trend
Red-cheeked Cordonbleu       Cyclic  
Lavender Waxbill       Cyclic  
Orange-cheeked Waxbill       Cyclic  
Common Waxbill     Increase Increase  
Red Avadavat     Cyclic Cyclic  
Nutmeg Mannikin Decrease No Trend Decrease Decrease No Trend
Chestnut Munia Increase   No Trend Cyclic  
Java Sparrow Cyclic   Increase Cyclic  

Version 1 completed Dec 2009 and will not be updated for content until Version 2 is posted (typos and bad links may be fixed). Plans are to complete Version 2 sometime in 2011-2013, with further updated versions to be completed every 2-4 years thereafter. Comments, errors, typos, bad links, updated information, any other suggestions: Please contact Peter Pyle at ppyle@bishopmuseum.org.

Citation: Pyle, R.L., and P. Pyle. 2009. The Birds of the Hawaiian Islands: Occurrence, History, Distribution, and Status. B.P. Bishop Museum, Honolulu, HI, U.S.A. Version 1 (31 December 2009) http://hbs.bishopmuseum.org/birds/rlp-monograph/2009

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