Record numbers of Wedge-tailed Shearwaters breeding within a predator-proof fence in Hawaii

 
A Wedge-tailed Shearwater chick in the Kaena Point NAR, photograph by Sora Gallo

Record numbers of Wedge-tailed Shearwaters Ardenna pacifica have bred within the predator-proof fence in the Kaena Point Natural Area Reserve on the Hawaiian island of Oahu this last breeding season.

Surveying Wedge-tailed Shearwaters within the Kaena Point NAR, photograph by Laura Crago

“Annual surveys began at this site in 1994 with only a handful of nests.  In 2011, a mammalian exclusion fence was built to protect Ka‘ena Point's wildlife.  Our latest survey [presumably of the 2024/25 breeding season] estimates there are 16 394 nests inside the fence.  Nest success was 47%, which is higher than the long-term average.

As the size of the colony has increased, so has the effort required to monitor it.  These annual surveys wouldn't be possible without the help of dedicated stewards from conservation organizations across the island.  Finding 30+ people who are willing to spend a day crawling around and peeking/reaching into holes in the ground is no easy feat.

The success of this mammalian exclusion fence and on-going management shows what’s possible when science, protection, and community come together.”

Information from the Facebook page of Pacific Rim Conservation.

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 21 October 2025