North Shore News‘Alae ‘Ula are small water birds that can be identified by the striking red shield above their yellow beaks. They have black plumage on top, a dark slate blue on their stomach with white stripes on their tail feathers. ‘Alae ‘Ula have long legs with feet that are not webbed like a duck, but lobed like a chicken. The chicks are bumbling little black puff balls with red “twig” wings, and sound like tiny eagles as they beg their parents for food. Some would say they are so ugly they are cute. Although the chicks can swim almost as soon as they hatch, they are dependent on their parents for food and protection for the first couple months. When they are about 4-5 months old, basically teenagers, the ‘Alae ‘Ula have their true feathers and can forage independently.
The ‘Alae ‘Ula was federally listed as an endangered species in 1967 with a count of 16 birds. Once abundant across the Main Hawaiian Islands (except Lana‘i and Kaho‘olawe), due to pressure from predation by invasive species and habitat loss their numbers have dwindled to an average of 300 individuals on O‘ahu and Kaua‘i (HDOFAW 1976- 2008, USFWS 2011). The ‘Alae ‘Ula are found in wetland habitats; including kalo patches, shrimp farms, drainage flumes, ponds, and estuaries. They are opportunistic feeders that enjoy shrimp, insects, worms, seeds, algae and plants. We’ve witnessed our birds eating the flower of the water lily. The conservation team is diligently protecting our resident ‘Alae ‘Ula population through control of predators, such as by feral cats, mongoose and bull frogs, and habitat restoration and management. The conservation goals for the ‘alae ‘ula is to cultivate a thriving habitat where their young will have a better chance at reaching adulthood. We hope that once this goal is met and we have a thriving population, they will eventually migrate to other marshes in the North Shore for all to enjoy their company. To track the dispersal of the ‘Alae ‘Ula, they are banded with a unique code that identifies their home location as Waimea Valley.
‘Alae ‘Ula are known to be very shy creatures. Most literature cites that 99% of the time, the call of the water bird will be heard but the individual hardly seen. Waimea Valley is one of the few places open to the public where the birds can be easily found in one of four ponds located at the beginning section of the valley. Come visit Waimea Valley to see our three newly fledged chicks in Pond 1 and our two teenagers in Pond 2. Make sure stop at the sign to read about the mo‘olelo of how Maui learned the secret to creating fire from an ‘Alae ‘Ula. Ref: https://ecos.fws.gov/docs/five_year_review/doc4563.pdf