Save Our Shearwaters

Beginning with the 2008 season, Mary Ellis, the new SOS Coordinator of the Kaua'i Humane Society will take the reins of the Save Our Shearwaters program. For more information on the program, please contact her at 632-0610 x109.

When they leave their nests, seabird fledglings are guided by the light of the moon out to sea. Unfortunately, urbanization on Kaua'i has resulted in the ongoing fallout of fledgling seabirds on their first nocturnal flight from their nesting burrow to the sea. By eliminating stray light, we can reduce the number of young birds that get confused and fall rather than continue out to sea.

You can help reduce light attraction by:

• Turning off unnecessary outdoor lights.
• Replacing fixtures that scatter light in all directions -- such as globe and carriage lights -- with directional fixtures that point down and away from the beach.
• Shielding the light source. Materials such as aluminum flashing can be used to direct light where it is needed and keep it off the beach.
• Replacing white incandescent, fluorescent and high-intensity lighting with a maximum 40-watt yellow bug light.
• If you have large windows, draw drapes at night to keep interior lights from attracting the birds.
• If you live near a county ballpark, check your neighborhood for grounded seabirds. If the park is not in use, but the lights are still on, turn off the lights.

Keep an old towel and a ventilated cardboard box, pet carrier or other nonairtight container in your car. If you are on foot, just the towel will do.

If you find a downed bird, gently pick it up from behind with the towel, carefully wrapping the material completely around its back and wings. Place it in a container as soon as possible. Be aware of the shearwater's long, pointed bill. Don't be worried too much because the birds are usually docile, but wrapping the bird in a towel will protect you and the bird.

Keep the bird covered and in a quiet, shaded location. Do not feed, water or handle it.

Take the recovered bird to the nearest shearwater aid station right away (see the list at the bottom of the page to locate the aid station nearest to you).

Do not attempt to release the bird yourself. It may have internal injuries or be too tired or weak to survive. Throwing the bird into the air could cause more injury. Let the trained Save Our Shearwaters program staff examine the bird and decide when, where and how to let it go.

On the board provided at the aid station, write information about where you found the bird. The best information would be a street address or street intersection, the number of a nearby utility pole or highway mile marker. If you are in a hurry, you can leave your telephone number so staff can call you to get additional information about the bird you found.

In the past, up to 2,000 Newell's shearwaters -- mostly juveniles -- were picked up annually through the SOS program. Of these, 91 percent were released into the wild.