Incident involving an ʻio on Hawai‘i Island highlights the hazards of human interactions

A word of caution: The photograph at the end of the story is of the injured ʻio and could be too graphic for some readers. Discretion is advised.

While threats to Hawaiʻi’s endangered wildlife typically come from habitat loss, disease, or predators, recent incidents highlight another danger: human interactions.

Last month, a Mountain View community member found an emaciated ʻio, or Hawaiian hawk, on her property that was missing an upper portion of its beak. She reported it to the Hawaiʻi Wildlife Center, which contacted the Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement and the Division of Forestry and Wildlife of the Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR).

Raymond McGuire, a wildlife biologist with the Division of Forestry and Wildlife, collected the ʻio and transferred it to the Hawaiʻi Wildlife Center. Examination of the hawk determined the injury wasn’t natural but human-caused. No longer able to feed itself, the bird had to be euthanized.

The Hawaiʻi Wildlife Center received a tip the previous week about a posting on Craigslist that offered a free hawk in Mountain View. Posted photos of that bird showed similar feather, eye, and cere (lump above the beak) color to the hawk they admitted, though it still had its full beak.

The post has since been deleted. It hasn’t been determined if the two incidents are related.

“I just want to make people aware that these types of abuses are happening in our backyards and if community members see something, please say something,” McGuire said.

In Hawaiʻi, endangered wildlife like the ʻio carry state protections. Hawaiʻi Revised Statutes prohibit the “taking” of endangered or threatened species, which includes harming, killing, or otherwise disrupting them.

“We’ve received several reports in recent years of shootings and other harmful misconduct aimed at Hawaiian hawks,” McGuire said. “We can all contribute to the protection of our native ʻio and stop the trend of abuse if we keep our eyes open and speak up.”

To report suspected illegal activity, call the DLNR enforcement hotline at 808-643-3567 or use the DLNRTip app. For information on raptor rehabilitation and rescue, reach out to the Hawaiʻi Wildlife Center at 808-884-5000.