White Tern Rescue

Injured and abandoned terns may need our help to help them survive. Terns that are on the ground are at risk of predations from species such as rats, mongoose, and cats. Therefore, it is vital to rescue terns that are in need of help quickly. 

Citizen Science Nest Monitoring

There are a variety of ways you can help conserve manu-o-Kū. The most helpful (and most fun!) is by becoming a manu-o-Kū citizen scientist! A citizen scientist can monitor nests, report newly discovered nest sites and recently laid eggs in known sites, and use photography to document development, behaviors, prey items and more.

Tree Trimming

Tree trimmers have a delicate relationship with manu-o-K​ū. If trimming isn't done with care, branches that host a nest may be lost. A chick that falls from its nest to the ground will likely die because either the parents won't be able to care for it or it may be attacked by a predator. However, tree trimming can actually be beneficial for manu-o-Kū. Trimming can lead to a scar or cup to be formed in the branch which creates an ideal nesting site that will protect the egg and chick. Keeping a tree trimmed can also make it easier for adults to fly in and out of the tree. Tree trimming may be one explanation for why there are so many manu-o-Kū in Honolulu, but it must be done with the utmost care to ensure no nesting sites are being destroyed.

Nest Tree Marking

You may have noticed trees around Honolulu with blue ribbons. These blue ribbons mark trees with known active White Tern "nests". By marking the trees with White Tern eggs or chicks, we can help improve the chick's chances of survival by alerting tree trimmings of nesting trees or identifying nesting trees in case a chick falls off of a branch.