2023 Highlights of ARC’s projects, achievements and events.

An endangered ʻuaʻu (Hawaiian Petrel) chick that was rescued by a team from Archipelago Research and Conservation (ARC) in the middle of October has been successfully released out to sea after 39 days of care by the Save Our Shearwaters (SOS) program.

We can guarantee you that you haven’t seen anything this cute before - the hatch and first hours of an ‘ua’u (Hawaiian petrel) chick’s life. Turn up the volume…

Nocturnal Surveys For Endangered ‘A‘o (Newell’s Shearwater) and ‘Ua‘u (Hawaiian Petrel) in Hono O Nā Pali NAR.

‘Ua‘u (Hawaiian Petrel) and ‘a‘o (Newell's Shearwater) chicks in Hono O Nā Pali Natural Area Reserve

The first ʻaʻo (Newell’s Shearwater) captured on camera digging a burrow at the Pōhākea Social Attraction Site.

First ever footage of egg laying and incubation of ‘ua’u (Hawaiian petrel)!

First use of nest boxes by ‘A‘o (Newell’s Shearwater) at the Honopu Social Attraction Site!

Searching for the rare and elusive Tahiti petrel (Pseudobulweria rostrata) in American Samoa.

Thermal Footage Of Tahiti Petrel And Tropical Shearwater In American Samoa.

A seabird restoration project was initiated May 3, 2023 at Nuʻalolo Kai on the rugged and remote Nā Pali coast of Kauaʻi. The project is a partnership of multiple organizations and aims to restore seabird populations that have been lost from the site due to introduced predators.

‘Ua‘u chicks emerge from their burrows in mid to late October to start exercising. This time period is critical for ‘Ua‘u chicks as they strengthen their wings ready for their first flight out to sea.

Part II: Incubation and Early Chick Rearing. Once the egg is laid, both adults share incubation duties. During this stage eggs and chicks are vulnerable to introduced predators such as cats and black rats.

Part I: Arrivals, Pair Bonding & Burrow Maintenance. By mid-April, adult ‘ua‘u on Kaua‘i are returning to their burrows after spending the winter at sea. This is an important time for the ‘ua‘u as they clean their burrows and strengthen pair bonds in preparation for egg laying.

Near miss! A cat tries to kill a Hawaiian Petrel at its burrow in Upper Limahuli Preserve. Luckily in this case, the cat did not manage to kill the petrel - but it did unfortunately kill at least one endangered 'A'o (Newell's Shearwater) nearby before it was captured.

Retrieving Acoustic Sensors for Endangered Seabirds on the Napali Coast, Kaua'i.

A rare interaction between a visiting ‘Ua’u (Hawaiian Petrel) and a nesting ‘A’o (Newell’s Shearwater) in Hono o Na Pali NAR.

'A'o (Newell's Shearwater) chick exercising at Upper Limahuli Preserve in the last few days before fledging.

This infrared video captures the moment an endangered 'A'o (Newell's Shearwater) - grounded by artificial lights - was rescued.

An endangered Ua’u, or Hawaiian Petrel was rescued from a flooded burrow in Hono o Nā Pali Natural Area Reserve late last week by a monitoring team from Archipelago Research and Conservation (ARC).

Here's a short video showing the recovery of acoustic sensors that we deployed earlier this year along the Nāpali Coast of Kaua'i. These units monitor the three Hawaiian endangered seabirds - the 'a'o (Newell's Shearwater), 'ua'u (Hawaiian Petrel) and 'ake'ake (Band-rumped Storm-petrel).

Kaua’i multimedia artist Trysen Kaneshige paints an 'alae ke'oke'o at the Kawai’ele waterbird sanctuary for the ‘Cat Safe, Wildlife Safe Kaua’i' project.