HONOLULU (KHON2) — Next time you’re thinking about adding to your car emergency kit, consider adding a small towel and box to the mix.
Hawaii drivers are encouraged to add these two items to their cars through mid-December in case they come across a seabird that has fallen to the ground.
Entering the fall season means that young seabirds begin to leave their nests and head towards the ocean. In some instances, young birds “can become disoriented by artificial light and collide with man-made structures,” becoming vulnerable to cars and other predators.
The Hawaii Wildlife Center at the Honolulu Zoo is prepping for the busy season to care for fallen seabirds including ‘a‘o (Newell’s shearwater), ‘ua‘u (Hawaiian petrel), akē‘akē (Band-rumped storm-petrel), ‘ua‘u kani (wedge-tailed shearwater) and ʻou (Bulwer’s petrel).
“If we’re getting toward November and you find a bird in your yard, your driveway, in the street, your parking lot, or struggling in the water to stay afloat, or on the beach staying in the same spot a long time, those are all indications that a bird might need help,” explained Rachael Sitzer of the Hawaii Wildlife Center.
According to experts, residents should keep boxes with poked holes in their cars and have a clean towel at the bottom.
An extra towel or a piece of cloth should also be kept to gently pick up the bird and place it in the box. The bird can then be taken to a certified drop-off site on your island.
“We have a really long list of criteria that all the birds have to meet in order to be considered releasable. Once we feel they meet all that criteria we take them to a controlled release site where we can safely let them fly out to sea,” Sitzer continued.
For ways to help reduce the chance of seabirds confusing artificial lights with natural moonlight, visit the DLNR’s Division of Forestry and Wildlife website.