The kanakaleonui bird corridor (KBC) is located between 6000 to 8000 feet elevation on the eastern slope of mauna KEA and acts as a forested corridor for rare and endangered native birds to travel…

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) awarded a $120,000 Cooperative Agreement under the Partners for Fish and Wildlife (CFDA 15.631) program to the Big Island Resource Conservation and Development Council. The project aims to benefit native Hawaiian birds by establishing a forested corridor between 6,000 and 8,000 feet on the eastern slope of Mauna Kea. Key deliverables include purchasing and planting 8,000 native trees and shrubs to connect the Mauna Kea State Forest Reserve and Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge. This will provide more habitat and forage sources for endangered and threatened native bird species, such as the Hawaiian Amakihi, Apapane, Iiwi, Omao, Hawaii Elepaio, Hawaii Creeper, and Pueo. The project will run from October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2029.

The kanakaleonui bird corridor (KBC) is located between 6000 to 8000 feet elevation on the eastern slope of mauna KEA and acts as a forested corridor for rare and endangered native birds to travel to higher alpine native forests away from avian disease carrying mosquitoes. Native bird movement is currently capped at 6000 feet by former pastured lands preventing migration to upper elevation forests. Planting native trees in the KBC and surrounding lands connects the dry subalpine woodlands of the mauna KEA state forest reserve and the hakalau forest national wildlife refuge (PIHA) forest reserve. The proposed project will benefit native birds plants by providing more habitat and sources of forage. Native birds that have been identified in the project area from bird surveys include hawaiian amakihi (hemignathus virens) apapane (himatione sanguinea) iiwi (drepanis coccinea) omao (myadestes obscurus) hawaii elepaio (chasiempis sandwichensis) hawaii creeper or alawi (oreomystis mana) and pueo (asio flammeus sandwichensis). Deliverables include purchasing and planting a total of 8000 native trees and shrubs (6000 native plants provided by pifwo).