The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has taken two dozen critically endangered Millerbirds Acrocephalus familiaris from their home island of Nihoa in the northwestern Hawaii and moved them to Laysan about 650 miles to the north. The hope is that a second population of the species, which numbers between 500 and 700 birds, will reduce the risk of a single catastrophic event wiping the bird from the planet. Laysan was the home of the nominate subspecies before they were extirpated in the early 1900s whereas the birds being moved are of the subspecies A. f. kingi, often called Nihoa Millerbirds. More on Millerbirds can be found on the BirdLife International Species Factsheet.
Good luck, Millerbirds!
Corey is a New Yorker who lived most of his life in upstate New York but has lived in Queens since 2008. He's only been birding since 2005 but has garnered a respectable life list by birding whenever he wasn't working as a union representative or spending time with his family. He lives in Forest Hills with Daisy and Desmond Shearwater. His bird photographs have appeared on the Today Show, in Birding, Living Bird Magazine, Bird Watcher's Digest, and many other fine publications. He is also the author of the American Birding Association Field Guide to the Birds of New York.
I keep forgetting the US actually has its very own Acrocephalus warbler. So odd!
Good luck indeed, Millerbirds! Europe’s sympathies are with you.
I may actually apply to work on Laysan next year…having Millerbirds around will make it that much sweeter!
Steve – you suck! 🙂 🙂