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Known locally as 'Akē'akē, the Band-rumped Storm-Petrel is one of the smallest and rarest seabirds that nests in the Hawaiian Islands. To protect the nests of these rare birds, scientists have to find them… but it’s not easy finding a nest burrow tucked into the mountainside. That’s why wildlife biologists such as Michelle Reynolds get help from “detector dogs” specially trained to sniff out 'Akē'akē nests.
BirdNote®
'Akē'akē
Written by Jessie Eden
This is BirdNote.
['Akē'akē calls]
Known locally as 'Akē'akē, the Band-rumped Storm-Petrel is one of the smallest and rarest seabirds that nests in the Hawaiian Islands. Spending most of their lives at sea, akē'akē come to island mountains for the breeding season.
To protect the nests of these rare birds, scientists have to find them… but it’s not easy finding a nest burrow tucked into the mountainside. Wildlife biologist Michelle Reynolds has firsthand experience.
Michelle Reynolds: For Band-rumped Storm-Petrel, there's no sign. …you might hear them in the night. It's like a dream because the next day you'll search and you don't find droppings. I've never seen a feather, incredibly rare to find a visual cue.
['Akē'akē calls]
After acoustic monitoring devices picked up 'Akē'akē calls on the slopes of Mauna Loa, Hawai'i’s second tallest mountain, biologists began work to find these endangered birds. They got help from detector dogs trained to key in on Akē'akē scent. With no need for visual cues, the dogs can follow the scent and point the humans to potential nest sites.
[dog panting]
Michelle Reynolds: Slater here, he's the primary 'Akē'akē dog.
He has a great final response where he just freezes when he's in the odor.
When that happens, researchers can then find the active nest and keep the birds safe.
['Akē'akē calls]
Ecological detector dogs like Slater are helping us protect Hawai'i’s endangered seabirds.
For BirdNote, I’m Jessie Eden.
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Senior Producer: John Kessler
Producer: Mark Bramhill
Managing Editor: Jazzi Johnson
Managing Producer: Conor Gearin
Bird sounds provided by the Listening Observatory for Hawaiian Ecosystems (LOHE) Lab at the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo.
Ambient recording by Jessie Eden.
BirdNote’s theme was composed and played by Nancy Rumbel and John Kessler.
© 2023 BirdNote June 2023
Narrator: Jessie Eden
ID# AKEK-01-2023-06-06 AKEK-01
