Paying Homage to the Last 'Akikiki in the Wild
July 1, 2024 - When a group hiked into a remote mountain valley in April, they knew it could be the last time they saw an ‘akikiki in the wild.
“This was kind of a trip to say goodbye. ‘Akikiki are down to at most, a handful of individuals, maybe even fewer,” said Justin Hite, a longtime field supervisor for the Kaua‘i Forest Bird Recovery Project (KFBRP), now working on mosquito control planning with the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife.
Once numbering in the thousands in the stunning valleys and ridges of native forest, their decline in recent years has been predicted and precipitous.