DARK-RUMPED PETREL
| Pterodroma phaeopygia sandwichensis (Ridgway) | Plate 7, Fig. 1 |
Hawaiian names: Uau; Uuau; Uwau.
This is a subspecies with P. P. phaeopygia of the Galapagos Islands. It appears to be a white-headed bird at a distance. Its forehead, cheeks and underparts are white; head black; back brownish slate, wings and tail darker; length 15.5 inches.
Endemic to the main group of the Hawaiian Islands and in danger of extinction, the uau probably did not range far from the main islands. It nested in the mountains of Hawaii, Maui, Molokai, Oahu, Kauai and Lanai. The mongoose has killed it out on Hawaii, Maui and Molokai. Pigs and cats accounted for it on Lanai. No doubt the ancient Hawaiians exterminated it on Oahu. The name of a hill Puu Uau, on Oahu, is evidence that it nested there. There are no mongooses on Kauai so it may still nest there in the mountains.
In flight it is more erratic than the wedge-tailed shearwater. It darts and zigzags, sailing between times. Coming in to the islands from the sea it flies fairly high. No observations have been recorded of its feeding habits. Its cry when flying round the cliffs en Molokai is described by Alanson Bryan as weird: "A long drawn out u-a-u, suggesting the wail of a lonesome cat," and other variations.
It nests in holes under the roots of trees and stones at elevations of from 1,500 to 5,000 feet. The egg is laid in April and May and the natives took the young when nearly full grown but still in the down, in October. The natives used the old birds as well as the young for food, netting them as they flew to the mountains in the evening. The young birds were considered a delicacy, kapu to the common people and reserved for the chiefs. The old birds were probably not kapu as their flavor was so strong that they could not be eaten till they had been salted for a considerable time. Taking the old birds from the burrows as described by Alanson Bryan was no doubt resorted to after the kapu was removed. This practice probably helped to exterminate the species on Molokai. Alanson Bryan mentions a glossy white egg.
Bonin Island petrel (Pterodroma leucoptera hypoleuca) at entrance to burrow. Showing grass formerly covering large areas of the island.
Photo by courtesy of the Bishop Museum.
BONIN ISLAND PETREL
| Pterodroma leucoptera hypoleuca (Salvin) | Plate 7, Fig. 5 |
Other names: Salvin's Petrel; Bonin Petrel; Small Moaning Bird (Midway).
This interesting petrel is about 13 inches long; forehead is white and slate color, upper parts slaty to black; below white; bill black; legs flesh color; feet black. The immature bird does not differ from the adult.
It ranges the North Pacific Ocean and breeds on islands of the Hawaiian Chain. A remnant of one (head and wing, enough to identify the species) was found on Lanai in 1914. It may have been a straggler, or perhaps an old bird visiting what may have been a former nesting place on dry ridges of the forest in the vicinity. This is the only record of the species on the main Hawaiian group. The specimen is in the Bishop Museum. Caum saw a chick which he believed to be of this species on Kaula in 1932.
When we arrived oa Laysan in the middle of June 1891, the young of this species had nearly all left; the Christmas shearwater was hatching its chicks and the wedge-tailed shearwater was laying its eggs. A few young Bonins were in burrows and seemed blind when brought out into the light of day. We found young birds, some alive and some dead, on Lisiansky and Midway.
Descriptions of the arrival of these birds in immense numbers on Laysan and Midway in August are given by Schauinsland, Hadden and Donaghho. Their beautiful flight, aerial evolutions in the evenings, their terrible growling, squalling and squealing when preparing to lay are extremely interesting.
Nature's wonderful plans are astonishing. We can only guess at the course of controlled competition among the different species; how the Christmas shearwater nests on the ground; the Bonins in burrows and the wedge-tails at a deeper level. Also the conservation of food supply insured by the Bonins leaving, as the wedge-tails arrive, and the Christmas shear-water feeding its young at a time different from the other two.
BULWER'S PETREL
Bulweria bulweri (Jardin & Selby)
Hawaiian names: Ou; Owow.
This gentle little petrel is about 11 inches long. It is sooty brownish black with a paler band along the wings; bill black and feet brown. There is no perceptible difference between the old and young birds in first plumage. The chick in the down is black.
The species has a wide range over the seas of the world. It nests on a number of islands off the coast of Oahu and on islands of the Hawaiian Chain. In 1912 Dill estimated that there were 1,000 on Laysan. Where rats abound it is soon exterminated.
It has the graceful flight of the petrels, generally keeping close to the water. Ashore it does not stand on its feet but takes short waddling runs and assumes a sitting posture. Surface sea-life is evidently its food. All I have examined had empty stomachs. Its voice is a deep croak, some would liken it to a small dog barking. A sound, kept up for long periods like the motor of a small boat, heard on islands it inhabits cannot be attributed to any other bird.
The birds begin to lay early in June on the ground under vegetation or other shelter they can find. On French Frigate Shoal they were under turtle shells. The pure white egg is ovoid, blunt at small end, averaging
1.6x1.25 inches. I have seen young chicks about the second week of August and young nearly full fledged early in September. The chicks were considered a great delicacy by the ancient Hawaiians.
| HYDROBATIDAE | Storm Petrel Family |
HAWAIIAN STORM PETREL
| Oceanodroma castro cryptoleucura (Ridgway) | Plate 7, Fig. 3 |
Hawaiian names: Oeoe; Otveowe; Akeake.
This subspecies with Oceanodroma castro castro of St. Helena is only about 8 inches long. It is of a general sooty brown color, with the upper tail-coverts white. It is easily distinguished at sea in Hawaiian waters by its small size and the white patch at the base of the tail. We saw one on our outward passage on May 29,1891 the day after we passed Necker Island. We saw another flying around on June 10 the day before we sighted Gardner Island. Quoting my notes of August 14, 1891 on our return voyage we sighted the north side of Kauai when the white-rumped storm petrel were very numerous. Palmer also sighted it in the channel between Kauai and Niihau in July 1893. I have never seen this bird to the south of the group. My observations give me the impression that its range is to the north of- the main islands. I believe Henshaw's mention of the akeake refers to Tristram's petrel as I have some evidence that it ranges to the south of the main group. It is hoped that at some time a careful investigation will be made of the range and habits of the Hawaiian sea birds, which will throw more light on subjects such as this.
There is no record of this bird's feeding habits and the only information of its breeding habits was obtained from Francis Gay who informed us that the specimens in the Gay and Robinson collection were found at the foot of inland cliffs where the young birds had fallen when trying to fly. Once at night I heard the squeaking of a bird flying around an island cliff in the Hanapepe Valley, Kauai that I felt sure was this bird, but it was too dark to see it. I know of no record of the nest or egg having been seen. Palmer was given two specimens from the Gay and Robinson collection where two still remain. The only specimen in my collection was found on the beach at Makaweli, Kauai It was a young bird with the down still clinging to its feathers.
TRISTRAM'S PETREL
Oceanodroma markhami tristrami Salvin
Other names: Sooty Petrel; Sooty Storm Petrel.
Above mostly dark sooty slate, rump lighter, wing quills sooty black,