• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Map
• Reference and further resources

The site was identified as important in 2009 because it was regularly supporting significant populations of the species listed below, meeting ('triggering') IBA criteria.

Populations meeting IBA criteria ('trigger species') at the site:

Species	Red List1	Season	Year(s)	Size	IBA criteria
Hawaiian Hawk Buteo solitarius	NT	resident	1999	50-249	A1, A2
Hawaii Elepaio Chasiempis sandwichensis	NT	resident	2005	14,621 individuals	A1, A2
Omao Myadestes obscurus	NT	resident	2005	82,378 individuals	A1, A2
Akiapolaau Hemignathus wilsoni	EN	resident	2005	1,073 individuals	A1, A2
Hawaii Creeper Manucerthia mana	EN	resident	2005	2,268 individuals	A1, A2
Hawaii Akepa Loxops coccineus	EN	resident	2005	2,556 individuals	A1, A2
Hawaii Amakihi Chlorodrepanis virens	LC	resident	2005	154,749 individuals	A2
Iiwi Drepanis coccinea	VU	resident	2005	78,154 individuals	A1, A2
Apapane Himatione sanguinea	LC	resident	2005	491,928 individuals	A2

1. The current IUCN Red List category. The category at the time of the IBA criteria assessment (2009) may differ.

Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2009. The most recent assessment (2009) is shown below.

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Invasive and other problematic species and genes	happening now	whole area/population (>90%)	slow but significant deterioration	high

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Protected areas	Management plan	Other action	Result
Some of site covered (10-49%)	No management plan exists but the management planning process has begun	Some limited conservation initiatives are in place	low

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
1916	Hawai'i Volcanoes	National Park	26
1916	Hawaii Volcanoes	National Park	11

Land use	% of IBA
nature conservation and research	90
forestry	5
hunting	5

The majority of the Ka`u Forest Important Bird Area is owned by the State of Hawai`i. Most of this land comprises the Ka`u and Kapapala Forest Reserves. A small portion of the State land is leased to a private rancher and is managed as the Kapapala Cooperative Game Management Area. The western end and much of the northern edge are federally owned and are part of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Several small parcels along the southern edge of the area are owned by The Nature Conservancy of Hawai`i and Kamehameha Schools.

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Kau Forest (USA). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/kau-forest-iba-usa on 23/11/2024.