Top Tweets for #ENDEMIC

A message from Kaua'i councilmember Fern Ānuenue Holland: “Today was the hardest briefing I have experienced as a County Councilmember. Six weeks ago, I received a call from the Forest Bird Recovery Coordinator with the Hawaiʻi Department of Fish and Wildlife. As an ecologist, I understood immediately what the data meant. I cried to the point that I could barely continue the conversation. Today, I asked that our Council hear directly from the scientists working to save Kauaʻi’s native forest birds. The news was devastating. For decades, scientists have monitored mosquitoes in the Alakaʻi Plateau because they spread avian malaria. Historically, finding just one mosquito in a trap overnight was cause for concern. Beginning in October 2025, those same traps began catching dozens—even hundreds—of mosquitoes in a single night. The result has been catastrophic. The ʻAkikiki has not been seen in the wild since last fall. Scientists now believe it is extinct in the wild on Kauaʻi. Only 39 birds remain in conservation facilities, representing the last hope for the species. The ʻAkekeʻe is now believed to be functionally extinct in the wild. Species that numbered in the thousands just a few years ago have collapsed to fewer than 100 birds. The ʻIʻiwi may have only 4–5 individuals remaining across the entire Alakaʻi Plateau. These birds evolved over millions of years and exist nowhere else on Earth. Watching them disappear in my lifetime is almost impossible to comprehend. My deepest mahalo to the scientists, field crews, conservation organizations, volunteers, and everyone fighting every day to save what remains. Their dedication is extraordinary. Today, our hearts are with Kauaʻi’s forest birds. I hope this reminds all of us that conservation is not an abstract idea. It is a race against time.” 💜🕊️