58% to 78%! Wedge-tailed Shearwaters are doing well behind a fence in Hawaii

 Wedge-tailed Shearwater chick in the Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge, photograph from Pacific Rim Conservation

Within the Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge on the Hawaiian island of Kauai Wedge-tailed Shearwaters Ardenna pacifica now breed inside a predator-proof fence protected from feral pigs.  As a consequence, breeding success has increased markedly since the last pigs were eradicated, as reported recently by Pacific Rim Conservation on its Facebook Page.

“Back in July, our team found, grubbed, and marked 600 active ‘Ua‘u kani (Wedge-tailed Shearwater) nests across the refuge, and a few weeks ago we revisited each one to determine final nest outcomes.   In 2022, prior to the mammalian exclusion fence construction, apparent nest success was 58%. This year, with pigs successfully eradicated, and cat and rodent eradications underway, the overall apparent nest success was 78%!”

A feral pig within the Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge feeds on a Wedge-tailed Shearwater in October 2024, photograph from Pacific Rim Conservation (click here)

“This marks our fourth year of monitoring Wedgie nesting success at Kīlauea Point.  Over time, this dataset will help us understand how nesting success responds to predator management and how it varies across the refuge’s diverse habitats.”

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 18 November 2025