NEW INSIGHTS INTO THE STATUS OF THE HAWAIIAN PETREL ON KAUAI

We present new information, on the basis of observations and an analys is of existing but unpublished data, regarding the present status of t he Hawaiian Petrel on Kauai. A consistently used rafting area just off shore of Hanalei, on the north shore of Kauai, is described for the fi rst time. Observations made there in June and July 1993 and 1994, indi cate that the population frequenting breeding colonies, on the order o f >1000 birds per night during the peak of the visitation cycle, is mu ch larger than previously thought. In contrast, few sigh tings of this species were made elsewhere around the island. Corroborating these ob servations were records collected by state and federal biologists on f ledglings attracted to lights during their initial flight, 1980-1993, indicating a virtual confinement of the population to the north shore. Data presented also indicate that the nesting season on Kauai may be a few weeks later than on Maui, the only locale where extensive resear ch has been conducted on this species. On Kauai, increasing numbers of Hawaiian Petrel fledglings are being found each year. We propose that this is a result of the increasing numbers of coastal lights, and not an increase in the petrel's population. The increasing numbers found have implications for conservation of this species' population on Kaua i.