New video reveals devastation of a Hawaiian seabird colony by cats – third incident in two weeks
A minimum of 125 dead ‘ua’u kani (Wedge-tailed Shearwater) were documented, all predated by cats.
September 24, 2025
In the last two weeks, at least three mass kills of native ʻuaʻu kani (Wedge-tailed Shearwater) have been recorded on Kauaʻi, amounting to a minimum of 180 birds. In all three cases, the majority of the kills were due to cats and dogs.
Dr André Raine, Science Director for Archipelago Research and Conservation, said that these were not isolated events. “The most recent incident that we investigated - in a ʻuaʻu kani colony at Ninini Point - was one of the worst I have seen, with at least 125 birds killed by cats. Dead birds were scattered all over the colony, most of them being adults. When the adults are killed, their chicks then also slowly starve to death. Unfortunately, these kinds of reports happen on an almost annual basis and at seabird colonies all over the island.”
Live chicks were also recorded in some of the burrows, highlighting how vulnerable they still are at the site.
At Ninini Point, conservationists found a total of 106 dead adult birds and a further 19 dead chicks. They were only able to check a quarter of the colony, so it is highly likely there were many more. Based on the condition of the bodies, predations had been occurring at the site all season long. One dead bird was found with its egg still inside its body - showing it had been killed at the start of the breeding season – while in the case of two of the chicks, they had been freshly killed the previous night. Additional incidents in the last two weeks were recorded at Mahaʻulepu Heritage Trail (at least 16 birds) and the road past Spouting Horn (at least 39 birds).
Dr Raine continued “What is extremely frustrating is that this is an almost annual event on Kauaʻi. Looking through my reports, we have had annual kills of ʻuaʻu kani at Spouting Horn for the last three years straight and kills at Mahaʻulepu Heritage Trail going back as far as 2013. This year we started with a report from Haena of over 9 shearwaters killed by a dog off its leash and as we are nearing the end of the season we are getting multiple reports of mass kills across the island. It happens every year.”
The organization reiterated the ways that members of the public can help not only the ʻuaʻu kani but all Hawaiian wildlife. Dog owners can make a difference by keeping their dogs on a leash. Responsible cat owners can help by keeping their cats indoors (it’s also safer for the cats). Outdoor cats kill large numbers of Hawaiian birds each year on Kauaʻi and spread diseases such as toxoplasmosis which also impacts humans. Additionally, more funding is needed to protect coastal colonies of Hawaiian seabirds through predator control and active management in the largest colonies.
“The plight of the ʻuaʻu kani on Kauaʻi exemplifies the impact that cats and dogs have on Hawaiian wildlife. If we don’t start taking this issue seriously, they will eventually disappear from our coastlines,” concluded Dr Raine.
