The Question of Avian Introductions in Hawaii 
Harvey I. Fisher 1 
A UNIQUE FACT about the avifauna of the 
Hawaiian Islands is that seldom is a native bird 
seen in the urban areas. However, birds of a 
few species are abundant in the same areas; 
these birds are exotics introduced for various 
"good” reasons. The importation of birds has 
not been limited to forms that would be re- 
tricted to the habitat provided by the lower 
coastal areas which, with few exceptions, are 
also the urban sections. Hawaiian mountains 
and forests have many established foreign birds, 
and native birds in most regions are relatively 
rare. 
In perhaps no other similarly circumscribed 
area in the world have as many exotic species 
been introduced successfully. Bryan (1944: 84) 
records 232 species for Hawaii; of these, 94 are 
exotics of which 53 are probably established and 
the remainder of unknown status. He notes that 
so little field work has been done that it is im¬ 
possible to know the fate of many of the ex¬ 
otics. In addition, it is worthy of mention that 
in many instances no one even knew at the 
time what was being liberated here; the records 
of the territorial agency concerned often simply 
state "500 small birds,” or list little-used col¬ 
loquial names, or those used by dealers in birds. 
Furthermore, the home locale of the bird is not 
generally recorded; the port of embarkation for 
Hawaii is the only information we have that 
sheds light on the native region of the species, 
and such information is of little use. In those 
instances in which closely related species, and 
subspecies of one species, have been imported 
(as in doves), and where interbreeding may 
have occurred, we probably never will be able 
1 Department of Zoology and Entomology, Univer¬ 
sity of Hawaii, Honolulu, T. H. Manuscript received 
July 9, 1947. 
to unravel the situation enough to determine the 
breeding stock first liberated. Had all pertinent 
information been recorded, the ornithologist 
now and in the future might have been able to 
note the adaptive changes in the structure, food 
habits, and behavior of the birds occasioned by 
the environmental conditions in Hawaii. This 
knowledge would in turn aid us in evaluating 
past and possible future importations, and it 
would have been of interest and value to orni¬ 
thologists all over the world. 
Importations in the past have been for the 
most part a result of the activities of a few or¬ 
ganizations and several individuals. At least one 
group in Hawaii was organized primarily for the 
purpose of introducing and establishing song¬ 
birds in these islands. There is no question that 
these groups and individuals believed they were 
"improving” the natural attractiveness of the 
islands. One may question, however, the benefits 
derived from these activities. In addition to the 
species purposely liberated, several kinds of 
birds have first come in as cage birds and later 
escaped. Among these are the Chinese Thrush 
(T rochalopterum canorum ), which escaped in 
Honolulu during a large fire in 1900, the Straw¬ 
berry Finch (Amandava amandava ), and the 
House Finch, or Linnet (Carpodacus mexi - 
canus). These are, of course, inadvertent libera¬ 
tions, but the effects are often the same as in 
purposeful liberations. Care must be exercised 
in permitting the entry of cage birds. 
Much of the fervor for exotic birds is based 
upon the assumption that Hawaii is an "avian 
desert.” In part this is true today if one con¬ 
siders only the native species and the lower, 
urbanized parts of the islands. It is not and 
never has been true of the higher, forested areas 
where some of the native Hawaiian species still 
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