Pacific Birds Habitat Joint Venture and its partners invite the community to a free, family-friendly event celebrating the ʻalae ʻula, or Hawaiian common gallinule, only 700 of which are left in the world — most on Kauaʻi.
The waterbirds event is slated for 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 4, at Kukui Grove Shopping Center, located at 3-2600 Kaumualiʻi Highway, in Līhuʻe.
Pacific Birds and other sponsors will share local art, moʻolelo and fun facts about the ʻalae ʻula and how people can help protect it.
A blessing, hula and ʻoli will open the event, with the first 100 participants rewarded with a tube of Lydgate Farms chocolate-covered macadamia nuts.
Other activities will include crafts at sponsor booths, a pop-up student art show and display of a block print by artist Holly Kaʻiakapu. There will also be a competition to win prizes such as Vortex binoculars, Airpods and ‘alae ‘ula stuffed animals.
The ‘alae ‘ula is listed as endangered and is unique to Hawaiʻi, making it the kuleana of those who live with the birds to look after them. Sadly, they have been lost from all other islands except Kauaʻi and Oʻahu.
‘Alae ‘ula require great wetland habitat and protection from predators in order to thrive.
People can help it and other endangered waterbirds by:
- Volunteering for wetland and lo‘i kalo restoration projects.
- Watching out for birds when driving and golfing.
- Learning more about the cultural importance of this bird.
- Keeping cats inside.
- Always walking dogs on a leash.
The event is part of the Year of Our Coastal Kuleana, a Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources campaign encouraging people throughout the islands to celebrate the rich diversity of life in the state’s coastal habitats.
Pacific Birds will host additional events throughout 2026 for the ‘alae ‘ula.
Email to info@pacificbirds.org or visit the Pacific Birds Habitat Joint Venture website.
Pacific Birds is a collaborative partnership founded in 1991 to conserve birds and their habitats at the regional and flyway scale. It convenes partners in Hawaiʻi, Alaska, U.S. Pacific Islands, North Coast of California and western parts of Washington and Oregon as well as British Columbia, Canada.
