Prompted by repeated injuries suffered by a single ‘Io (Hawaiian hawk), a collaboration of conservation agencies and nonprofit organizations are holding the first-ever “Hawk Week” Oct. 9 to Oct. 15.
Intended to bring attention to the plight of our state’s native hawk and to raise awareness about the threats the bird faces, the week includes numerous opportunities for people to get involved and educated.
Hawaiian hawk Maka‘io is a permanent ambassador to his species, now living at the Hawaii Wildlife Center in North Kohala.
The 3-year-old male bird came to the center in 2019 and is under the care of veterinarian Juan Guerra and his team.
“His main problems were an eye injury and a soft-tissue wing injury,” Guerra explained while putting Maka‘io through a daily series of exercises to keep him healthy. “His wing injury healed fine, but he can’t see out of his right eye anymore. As a birds of prey, ‘Io don’t do well out in the wild if they’re unable to see with both eyes.”
The center applied for permits from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife, or DOFAW, to keep Maka‘io as an education bird.
“He’s here for people in the local community to learn more about his species, about their natural history, their cultural importance, and the work we do at the wildlife center,” Guerra said.
Those are exactly some of issues and subjects, Hawk Week covers during seven-days of ‘Io appreciation online presentations.
Ande Buskirk, the education and outreach specialist for the DOFAW’s Hawaii Island branch conceived the weeklong series of virtual talks as a way to honor and celebrate the native hawk.
“Each day, starting this Sunday, new content will be added to the Hawk Week page (www.birdfesthawaii.org), according to each day’s theme,” Buskirk said. Here’s the online lineup:
Sunday, Oct. 9 – Biology and natural history;
Monday, Oct. 10 – Cultural connections;
Tuesday, Oct. 11 – Conservation actions;
Wednesday, Oct. 12 – Public appreciation;
Thursday, Oct. 13 – Care and rehabilitation;
Friday, Oct. 14 – Co-existence;
Saturday, Oct. 15 – Holomua! Onward!
In addition to Hawk Week virtual events, DOFAW education specialists have been offering programs to interested public schools on Hawaii Island to provide information about ‘Io and particularly the threats they face from people.
“Protecting our native wildlife is huge,” said Ray McGuire, a DOFAW biologist. “If people know there is a community that cares about these birds, perhaps that will stop some people from shooting at them. We want to remind people that ‘Io and many other native birds are protected under both federal and state laws.”