Volume 2, Number 8
FREE
February, 2026
Calling Seabirds Home As Wind Lease Renews “Without enough males, breeding remains limited, and population growth is slow.”
By Taryn Kama
O
n a quiet stretch of protected habitat on Maui, speakers hidden in the brush play the sound of seabirds calling into the night—a hopeful chorus meant to lure lost travelers home. It’s a clever conservation trick known as “social attraction,” designed to convince endangered seabirds that a site is safe enough to nest. And it’s working. Sort of. “The funny thing,” said biologist Jay Penniman, Special Projects & Development Specialist with the Maui Nui Seabird Recovery Project (MNSRP), “is that the birds are coming back— but so far, almost all the ones we’ve sampled have been female.” That unexpected twist highlights one of the challenges facing MNSRP, a program dedicated to rebuilding fragile seabird populations while mitigating losses tied to wind energy development. Founded in 2006, MNSRP began after staff documented one of Hawaii’s largest known breeding colonies of endangered Hawaiian petrels (‘ua‘u) in the upper Lāna‘i watershed. Since then, the team has searched for colonies across Maui, Moloka‘i, and Lāna‘i, removing predators, restoring habitat, and educating the public. The project is a program of the Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, in partnership with the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources and Living Pono Project. Windmill Lease Renewed The seabird recovery work is tied to the recently renewed 25-year lease for Kaheawa Wind Power I above Mā‘alaea. On Jan. 23, the Board of Land and Natural Resources unanimously approved the lease, allowing continued operation of the existing wind facility, which has produced renewable energy since 2006. The wind farm spans roughly 200 acres and includes 20 turbines capable of powering about 17,000 Maui homes annually, according to a Board press release.
Mariah Rivera, MNSRP Biologist, holds an ‘a’o after banding, ready to return to its burrow at Makamaka’ole Seabird Exclosure. While turbines generate clean energy, they also pose risks to birds. To offset impacts, the wind operator funds habitat restoration, predator control, and monitoring programs. “They don’t want to be killing birds,” Penniman said. “So they fund mitigation, and we work with them to protect habitat and give these species a better chance.” MNSRP’s conservation work includes predator-proof fencing, trapping cats, rats, and mongoose, planting native vegetation, and monitoring nests. At one fenced site, recorded bird calls are broadcast to attract returning seabirds. “It tells them other birds are there and it’s safe to land,” Penniman said. The technique has drawn dozens of ‘a‘o (Newell’s shearwaters), ‘ua‘u (Hawaiian petrels), and ‘akē‘akē (band-rumped storm petrels)-all endemic to Hawaii—back to the area over several years.
“We’ve had around 40 to 45 birds returning,” he said. “But almost every one has been female. We know at least one male has shown up because for three years a chick was raised each year in one burrow, but it’s been a mystery.” Without enough males, breeding remains limited, and population growth is slow. “Social attraction takes time,” he added. “We’re experimenting with different calls and approaches.” Penniman said seabirds play a critical environmental role, transporting nutrients from the ocean to land through their guano, which fertilizes native plants and even benefits nearshore reefs. “They bring marine nutrients back to the island,” he said. “That supports vegetation, insects, and even coral reef systems offshore.” At restored coastal colonies, the effects are clear. Sites that once had only a handful of burrows now host hundreds after sustained predator trapping and habitat restoration. While endangered seabirds receive the most attention, other species are affected too. For example, Nēnē, Hawaii’s state bird, and several migratory seabirds are killed by turbines. Sometimes more migratory birds get killed than endangered ones, because there are more of them, Penniman noted.
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What's Inside:
Maui Art Scene Events ......................................3 Mama’s Fish House Food Review............................5 Fire Horse Sparks Numerous Celebrations .......6 Events Calendar .........................................8-9 Classified Ads................................................12