Night football games approved this fall under Kauaʻi County’s seabird-safe guidelines

As the sun sets this weekend, stadium lights on Kauaʻi will once again illuminate some football fields.

Last year, there were no night football games during Seabird Fledgling Season, which runs from Sept. 15 to Dec. 15 and marks a crucial time for native seabirds like the Newell’s shearwater, Hawaiian petrel and Band-rumped storm-petrel.

During these months, the young nocturnal birds leave their mountain burrows for the first time, journeying to the sea and guided by the stars or moonlight. Artificial lighting from stadiums, as well as homes, streetlamps and vehicles can disorient them, causing them to crash to the ground in an event known as “fallout and downed bird.”

But due to careful coordination with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Department of Land and Natural Resources, some night football games on the Garden Isle can resume this fall.

The agencies have evaluated and implemented a tiered system to classify bird fallout risk as low, medium, or high.

Under Kauaʻi County’s approved plan, four of the seven games scheduled during the fledgling season this fall can be played at night because they are either low and or medium risk. Night games are not permitted during high-risk nights.

Low-risk nights typically have favorable weather and moonlight conditions that reduce disorientation risks for fledgling seabirds. Medium-risk nights may have partial cloud cover or lighting conditions that slightly increase the chance of fallout and downed birds.

High-risk nights occur during low moonlight and overcast skies, significantly increasing the danger of seabirds becoming disoriented by artificial lighting.

Dr. Andre Raine, science director at the Archipelago Research and Conservation in Kalaheo, said that during Shearwater season, another name for Seabird Fledgling Season, the “lights from our areas distract the birds. Eventually, they get exhausted and land on the ground and can’t take off.”

He added: “They sometimes get eaten by cats and dogs or run over by cars, or they just starve to death.”

The first authorized low-risk night game will take place tonight at Hanapēpē Stadium between Waimea and Kapaʻa football teams, followed by more Kaua’i Interscholastic Federation games on Sept. 27, Oct. 4 and Nov. 1.

“Those nights are medium to low-risk nights that the county has worked out with the Federal Government for the lights to be on,” said Kapa’a High School athletic director Greg Gonsalves.

He added that on the high-risk days the football teams are playing during the day, on Oct. 11, 18 and 25.

Calculating the risk is done by tracking the moon phase in the month of October.

“This is really critical,” Raine said. “We have to look at the time of year, and figure out if it’s a full moon or is it a waxing or waning moon or a new moon.”

By looking at the data and the weather with the moon phase, Raine predicts that October is “not going to be a good season” for the birds.

“The new moon on Oct. 21st and the half moon on Oct. 13th are likely to bring high fallout because that’s when most birds are fledging on Kaua’i this year,” Raine said. “As the peak period approaches, the waning moon, combined with changing weather, will be a contributing factor.”

For example, on stormy and gusty nights, “the weather dampens the moonlight, making everything glow,” Raine said. “You might think the birds will have a safe night, but it can quickly turn into a really bad one.”

Once a bird is grounded, even if it is rescued, its chances of survival drop significantly. This is primarily due to human handling, the risk of contracting diseases from the ground, and the fatigue caused by circling artificial lights, which depletes the fat reserves they need for migration.

“On average, about 200 birds are collected each year,” Raine said.

The artificial lights, like those at the Hanapēpē Stadium, can disorient the birds. But with safeguards in place, including trained seabird monitors and adjusted game schedules, the balance between community tradition and environmental stewardship is being carefully maintained.

“We are happy that we can arrange this schedule, and any opportunity we can get to play the games (at night),” Gonsalves said. “Attendance for night games tends to be higher.”

He said for tonightʻs game: “We hope to see the community this weekend so they can cheer on our young athletes.”

Kauaʻi Mayor Derek Kawakami said in a press release that the “agreement shows that we can support our interscholastic athletes while protecting our natural heritage at the same time.”

According to plan requirements, all interscholastic football games scheduled this season must have trained seabird monitors and wildlife biologists present during the fallout period.

However, Raine said it’s everyone’s “kuleana (responsibility) to dim unnecessary outdoor lighting during these peak periods. (It’s) not only good for the birds, it’s good for human health and our wallets as well, considering electricity prices.”

He also suggests that residents keep cats indoors and dogs on a leash, to protect the ground-nesting birds and those in breeding season, “that to me is the first vital step.”

Individuals who find a grounded bird during the fall season should approach the bird carefully and quietly. Pick up the bird by getting your hands around its sides, keeping the wings close to the body, then transfer it to a box with air holes in it.

During the Seabirds Fledgling Season, residents can leave birds at 10 designated fire stations across the island, which function as bird aid stations.

Afterward, staff from the Save Our Shearwaters collect all birds left at the aid stations and transport them back to their facility. They get them rehydrated if necessary, and then they release them.

Additionally, the Pacific Missile Range Facility is also protecting threatened seabirds on Kauaʻi through its Dark Skies program.

“The Dark Skies program demonstrates how environmental stewardship and mission readiness can work hand-in-hand,” Commanding Officer Capt. Robert Prince said in a news release. “Our ability to manage lighting at PMRF not only protects endangered seabirds, but it also supports the program’s research efforts and data gathering throughout the season.”

Residents with concerns or complaints about artificial lighting can contact the Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Forestry and Wildlife at 808-274-3433 or click here.

Businesses also can do their part by dimming or shielding lights at night and reporting any downed seabirds to the Shearwater Hotline at 808-635-5117.