NEWELL’S SHEARWATER ESA Threatened (IUCN Endangered) Newell’s Shearwater breeding colonies are restricted to the mountainous regions of the main Hawaiian Islands. However, birds attempting to breed at these sites often fall prey to invasive predators, collide with powerlines, or are disoriented by bright lights. Once free of invasive predators, Lehua Island will provide ideal breeding habitat for this threatened seabird. Remains of a Newell’s Shearwater chick have been found on Lehua Island, demonstrating that this species is attempting to nest there, and with predator removal, will have improved chances of successful reproduction. This image shows Kupuna Sabra Kauka releasing a rehabilitated Newell’s Shearwater, and offering a blessing of safe passage as this rare seabird begins its very first flight to sea.

Photo: Andre Raine.

CULTURALLY SIGNIFICANT Hawaiian cultural sites on Lehua date back as long as 700 years ago. Today, native Hawaiian residents of Ni‘ihau and Kaua‘i occasionally visit Lehua to fish and collect ‘opihi (marine limpets, pictured) and limu (seaweed or algae), and eco-tourists visit the waters surrounding the island to view the wildlife above and below the waves.

Photo: Nate Gray

Photo: Bonifacio Corse

PROTECTING NATIVE PLANTS Following removal of invasive rabbits in 2006, National Tropical Botanical Garden began to restore the island’s native plant species. While many Hawaiian plant species (such as naio, pictured, and aweoweo) have been re-established in the absence of rabbits, invasive rats continue to thwart further restoration efforts by consuming precious seeds and seedlings. Following removal of invasive rabbits in 2006, National Tropical Botanical Garden began to restore the island’s native plant species.

Photo: Rory Stansbury/Island Conservation

BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSS With 95% of the world’s Black-footed Albatross breeding in the low-lying atolls of the Northwest Hawaiian Islands, the population of Black-footed Albatross on Lehua is extremely important. Lehua Island is home to the only documented population found in the US Lehua is also one of the few “high islands” where Black-footed Albatross nest; this island could help protect this population from sea-level rise resulting from climate change.