Kaua'i Endangered Seabird Recovery Project

05/28/2026

This Saturday, we will be on Oahu for Bishop Museum’s annual Science & Sustainability Festival!

In collaboration with the Department of Land and Natural Resources, this year the festival focuses on the Year of Our Coastal Kuleana!

Alongside other amazing organizations, we will be there to talk about Hawaii’s native seabirds, threats they face, and how we can help them!

Don’t miss out on the panel starting at 12:30 pm, at the Great Lawn Main Stage, if you want to learn more about our native birds. Our very own Project Coordinator Dilek Sahin will be one of the panelists!

05/06/2026

Over the past few weeks our team has had the pleasure of greeting the ʻAʻo (Newellʻs Shearwater) and ʻUaʻu (Hawaiian Petrel) back to the mountain colonies (swipe to see some highlights of said birds and our team's photography skills!). Pairs united in their burrows after spending a few months at sea, and females are now quickly leaving for exodus (a period when female petrels and shearwaters feed on nutrient rich waters to form their egg).

Aiming to understand their breeding success and populations our team deployed monitoring equipment at colonies. Equipment deployed includes motion-sensor cameras at burrow entrances and sound recorders. These are used to monitor breeding success, predator activity, and track seabird calling activity.

To have a successful breeding season, these seabirds rely on a healthy ocean, which is another reason you should learn about and celebrate our Coastal Kuleana! Head over to for more information on the Year of Our Coastal Kuleana!

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04/10/2026

Interested in learning more about native seabirds, threats to them, and how you can help protect them? Stop by our booth this Saturday, April 11th, for the 2026 Ho‘olaule‘a No Ka Honua hosted by .

This event is free to attend and brings together a diverse mix of 20+ organizations all working towards a sustainable and resilient future for Hawaii.

With tons of fun activities for all ages, you will not want to miss out!

⏱️Saturday, April 11th, 11am-4pm⏱️
📍Kauaʻi War Memorial Convention Hall📍

Take this opportunity to come together as a community and MālamaʻĀina, Mālama Kai, and Mālama Kākou.

03/05/2026

After Hours Speaker Series - Happening tonight on O'ahu!

Join our partner at the Hawai'i Department of Land and Natural Resources, Dr. Josh Atwood, for a virtual field trip to Lehua Island Seabird Sanctuary. The event will take place at the Pacific Islands Ocean Exploration Center, where Dr. Josh Atwood will lead you on a virtual 360˚ video tour of Lehua Islet. You'll hear from our team about current seabird monitoring on the islet, and learn about the history of rat and rabbit eradication. After the virtual field trip, you'll even be able to view Lehua Islet through a virtual reality headset!

This talk is part of the Year of Our Coastal Kuleana, a year-long celebration of Hawaiʻi’s coasts. Learn more at dlnr.hawaii.gov/coasts.

Where: Pacific Islands Ocean Exploration Center in Aloha Tower Marketplace center courtyard
When: Today! Thursday, 3/5 5:30 - 7:30 PM
Sign up link: https://forms.gle/2vdyPuKEj9oVuk269
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02/04/2026

Have you seen our open positions? We are hiring Field Technicians and seasonal Field Assistants to help us protect Kauai's endangered seabirds. Please visit our website for the details of the positions and help us spread the word! Applications will close on February 11.

https://kauaiseabirdproject.org/about-kesrp/careers-at-kesrp/

09/04/2025

10/04/2023

We're looking for a Kupu ‘Āina Corps member to join our team for the next seabird season. The deadline for applications is October 13. Here's the details:

Interested in joining us as we advance the seabird recovery and conservation on the island of Kauaʻi? We’re currently accepting applications for the following positions: Kupu ‘Āina Corp…

01/13/2023

We are so excited to announce more good news from Lehua Island Seabird Sanctuary! We installed social attraction systems for Sooty and Gray-backed Terns, Band-rumped Storm-petrels, and Hawaiian Petrels on Lehua. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first tern social attraction project on the Hawaiian Islands and one of the first Band-rumped Storm-petrel social attraction projects on Kauai. Lehua has been rodent-free since 2021. Through our monitoring, we already see the positive effects of rat eradication on native species currently breeding on the island. These restoration efforts will help attract more native species to this safe island.

We couldn't do this work without the financial support from U.S. Fish and Wildlife and National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and help from Kauai DOFAW, our hard-working staff, and volunteers. Fingers crossed for the new chapter on Lehua!

Kauaʻi Branch, Division of Forestry and Wildlife
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
Islands: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Archipelago Research and Conservation

10/28/2022

Here's a great video from Archipelago Research and Conservation, recorded in Honopū Valley and showing how effective predator proof fences are!

10/27/2022

We completed this year's surveys on Mokuʻaeʻae Rock Islet Seabird Sanctuary off of Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge. The islet was full of life with more than 600 Wedge-tailed Shearwater chicks at varying stages.

In the coming season, we're initiating a social attraction project for Band-rumped Storm-petrels on Mokuʻaeʻae. Stay tuned!