Waterbird_Breeding_Tables__Amendment_1.pdf

Common Name Habitat Requirements Nesting/Breeding Threats/Conservation Efforts

Hawaiian Stilt

• prefer shallow waters (fresh, brackish, or salt water)

• native low-growing wetland plants

• opportunistic feeder

• freshly exposed mudflats and low growing vegetation

• will nest on low-relief islands in fresh and brackish ponds

• made from vegetation material, a pile of sticks, or a shallow nest depression in the ground

• breeding season is when water level in the ponds recede and mudflats are exposed, late March-early April

• breeding season and chick fledging is done by mid-August

• hunting (now illegal)

• mongoose, rats, dogs, feral cats, barn owls, black-crowned night herons

• environmental contaminants (fuel and oil spills)

• modification to wetland habitats for flood control or to provide municipal water sources

• invasive plants including pickleweed, water hyacinth, and mangrove (reducing open water, mudflats, or shallows)

Hawaiian Coot

• lowland wetland habitats with emergent plant growth interspersed with open water

• freshwater and brackish ponds, agriculture and aquaculture ponds

• generalists: feed on land, at the surface of the water, dive, and graze on grass adjacent to wetlands

• omnivorous, eating seeds, leaves, snails, crustaceans, insects, tadpoles, and small fish

• nesting occurs year round, but is most frequent in between March and September

• freshwater and brackish ponds, irrigation ditches, and taro fields

• construct floating nests of aquatic vegetation, found in open water or anchored to emergent vegetation

• nest initiation is tied to rainfall

• breeding occurs December to March

• hunting (now illegal)

• mongoose, rats, dogs, feral cats, barn owls, black-crowned night herons

• modification to wetland habitats for flood control or to provide municipal water sources

• invasive plants including pickleweed, water hyacinth, and mangrove (reducing open water, mudflats, or shallows)

• population monitoring and basic life history research

Hawaiian Moorhen

• variety of freshwater habitats

• opportunistic feeders, diet varies with habitat, but includes algae, grass seeds, plant material, insects, mollusks, and snails

• preferred habitat are interspersed dense (>30 contacts using the point intercept method) stands of robust emergent vegetation near open water, floating or barely emergent mats of vegetation, and water depths less than 3.3 feet

• nesting habitat restricted to areas with standing freshwater less than 24 in deep with dense emergent vegetation

• nesting occurs year round, but the greatest activity occurs between March and August

• nesting tied to water levels and the presence of appropriately dense vegetation

• build platform nests in dense vegetation over water

• hunting (now illegal)

• mongoose, rats, dogs, feral cats, barn owls, black-crowned night herons

• and environmental contaminants (fuel and oil spills)

• modification to wetland habitats for flood control or to provide municipal water sources

• protect current populations, protect breeding habitats, establish additional populations

Hawaiian Duck

• forage in a variety of freshwater habitats, including artificial wetlands; typically shallow water less than 5 in deep

• move between breeding and feeding habitats

• opportunistic feeders

• eat mollusks, insects, snails, dragonfly larvae, earthworms, grass seeds, green algae, seeds/leaf parts of wetland plants, and other freshwater vegetation

• nesting is year-round, but the main breeding season is between January and May

• nests on the ground near water, few nests found in areas frequented by humans or areas supporting mammalian predators

• nests are lined with down

• 2-10 eggs are laid, and the incubation period is likely less than 30 days

• life span of 13-18 years

• hunting (now illegal)

• mongoose, rats, dogs, feral cats, barn owls, black-crowned night herons

• environmental contaminants (fuel and oil spills)

• extremely vulnerable to non-native mammalian and avian predators

• easily disturbed by human activities

• hybridization with non-native mallards, especially a problem on O‘ahu

• protecting coastal plain wetlands

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Wet season Wet seasonDry season

Hawaiian Waterbird Breeding Periods and General Water Quality Requirements

Fr es h/ Br ac ki sh W at er

Fr es hw at er

‐Waters recede, mudflats exposed ‐ Vegetation most dense

Breeding Fledgling Rearing Breeding

Hawaiian Coot ‘Alae ke‘oke‘o

Incidental Breeding/Nesting

Breeding Fledgling Rearing Incidental Breeding/Nesting

Hawaiian Stilt Ae‘o

Incidental Breeding/Nesting

Breeding Incidental Breeding/Nesting

Hawaiian Moorhen ‘Alae ‘ula

Incidental Breeding/Nesting

Breeding Incidental Breeding/Nesting

Hawaiian Duck Koloa maoli

Breeding may occur year‐round, active periods are indicated

BreedingBreeding