4/23/25 – KAUA‘I SANCTUARY IS HUGELY POPULAR WITH NATIVE AND TRANSPACIFIC WATER BIRDS
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JOSH GREEN, M.D. GOVERNOR |
DAWN CHANG |
KAUA‘I SANCTUARY IS HUGELY POPULAR WITH NATIVE AND TRANSPACIFIC WATER BIRDS
KAWAIʻELE BIRD SANCTUARY, Kaua‘i – West Kaua‘i’s Mānā Plain is attracting larger numbers of native waterbirds and migratory shore birds than DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) biologist Jason Vercelli has ever seen in his 18 years of work in the wetlands.
Four native birds, all endangered, are the Hawaiian coot, the Hawaiian gallinule or moorhen, the Hawaiian stilt, and the Koloa duck — and they’re sharing the 100 acres of wetlands with migratory shorebirds. Vercelli has nearly as many stories about his long service as there are birds, ranging from tales about birds’ cultural significance to how to manage wetlands for optimal conditions.
“The Mānā Plain used to be a huge wetland, largest one in the state. In the early 1900s it was drained for agricultural purposes and that’s the primary reason the four endangered water birds are of concern. They lost their habitat. So, in the 1990s the state decided to restore some of that lost habitat. It started with Kawaiʻele, which is the older sanctuary. Another 50 acres of newer wetlands adjoins it, and another 50 acres is set to become part of the larger sanctuary soon,” Vercelli explained. All 150 acres will be managed as the Mānā Plain wetland restoration project
The sanctuary has created intense interest from nature lovers, photographers and bird watchers, especially this time of year when parents and their offspring fill the air with flight.
Vercelli said, “People come out here to see birds they don’t usually see. I have a lot of school kids come out and help with work and enjoy the place. We have volunteer days where people can come out and enjoy the area and get a little dirty at times. It’s just a really peaceful place, especially in the morning. It’s really nice place to be at sunset.”
Perhaps the most fascinating stories Vercelli shares are about the visiting birds. “We’re seeing a lot of migratory birds now. Pretty soon they’re going to start staging where they come together as groups, get as fat as they can, and then head back to the mainland,” he said.
The small birds fly for four days, non-stop, as they can’t land in the ocean. Vercelli remarked, “I think they’re more relaxed flying to the continent as it’s a bigger target. I’m not sure, on their return, how they find this little rock out here in the middle of the Pacific.”
In addition to creating a paradise for birds and bird lovers, the Mānā Plain wetlands provide important ecological services. It helps clean and clarify water before it deposits sediment out on the reef. It acts as a natural filter and furthers the concept of care for the ‘aina, mauka to makai. It provides a service in clarifying water, because the water we draw out of this canal has a lot of sediment in the water. So, the wetland acts as a natural filter, which benefits us. It cleans up the water before it goes out to the reef.
Much of Vercelli’s work these days involves management of the wetland by improving bird habitat, controlling predators, and conducting water manipulation to keep the basins full of water and at optimal levels for various seasons, like the feeding season. At other times he needs to drop the water level to create more breeding and nesting habitat.
Vercelli sums up nearly two decades of work saying, “I can have a bad day and then come out here and see something, a new bird, or see chicks, and just seeing this and getting feedback from the people and just knowing that I was helpful in developing this is definitely a pride factor.”
He wants to continue to see the bird sanctuary grow and thrive. DOFAW has a grant to establish a visitor’s center, which Vercelli says would be a really nice addition.
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RESOURCES
(All images/video Courtesy: DLNR)
HD video – Hugely Popular: Kaua‘i Sanctuary for Waterbirds and Shorebirds (web feature):
HD video – Mānā Plain wetland restoration project media clips (April 11, 2025):
Photographs – Mānā Plain wetland restoration project media clips (April 11, 2025):
Media Contact:
Dan Dennison
Communications Director
Hawai‘i Dept. of Land and Natural Resources
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