Traveler's Edition
Native Hawaiian birds are tough to spot on the island and it’s a rare occasion to see one of the beautiful forest birds flying in the bustling, urban city of Waikiki.
But good news for the bird watching enthusiasts who are planning to visit Hawaii, next month travelers vising the popular tourism island of Oahu can check out a new bird exhibition.
A new exhibition called ‘Lele O Na Manu: Hawaiian Forest Birds’ at Honolulu’s Bishop Museum is offering visitors the opportunity to learn about Hawaii’s extraordinary native bird species, it will showcase their rich and diverse natural history and their importance in traditional Hawaiian culture.
Hawaii is sometimes referred to as ‘the extinction capital of the world’ because so many species are critically endangered or have become extinct since humans arrived on the island. Over 1,000 years ago the island was home to over 110 species of birds that could only be found in Hawaii. This number is now down to just 48 native species, and is dwindling.
The purpose of the exhibition is to educate people about the remarkable cultural and natural resource of these creatures, and hopefully the exhibition will be a call to action before the remaining species go.
“For most of these birds, the only way you could see the actual feathers and the actual bird would be to come to this show or be a scientist that could use our facilities,” Michael Wilson, the exhibit designer, said of the preserved extinct species on display.
The exhibition starts on March 19 and runs through July 31.
