Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Publications

Click below for access to more than 170,000 publications written by USGS scientists over the century-plus history of the bureau.

Filter Total Items: 756

What caused the population decline of the Bridled White-eye on Rota, Mariana Islands?

The Bridled White-eye (Zosterops conspicillatus rotensis) was Once thought to be common and widespread on Rota, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, but is now restricted to several patches of native limestone forest in and adjacent to the Sabana region. Surveys conducted in 1990 indicated that the population had declined by 87% between 1982 and 1990 for unknown reasons. The low density a
Authors
Steven G. Fancy, Thomas J. Snetsinger

The Hawai'i rare bird search 1994-1996

We compiled the recent history of sightings and searched for 13 rare and missing Hawaiian forest birds to update status and distribution information. We made 23 expeditions between August 1994 and April 1996 on the islands of Hawai‘i, Maui, Moloka‘i, and Kaua‘i totaling 1,685 search hours, 146 field days, and 553 person days. During our surveys we found four critically endangered birds: the Po‘oul
Authors
Michelle H. Reynolds, Thomas J. Snetsinger

Reintroduction and translocation of 'Oma'o: A comparison of methods

We reintroduced 25 captive-reared ‘Oma‘o (Myadestes obscurus) and translocated 16 wild-caught ‘Oma‘o to former range in the Pu‘u Wa‘awa‘a Wildlife Sanctuary on the island of Hawai‘i to develop and refine methods that might be used in the recovery of the closely related and critically endangered Puaiohi (Myadestes palmeri) on Kaua‘i. Captive-reared ‘Oma‘o were soft-released from two hacking towers
Authors
Steven G. Fancy, Jay T. Nelson, Peter Harrity, Jope Kuhn, Marla Kuhn, Cyndi Kuehler, Jon G. Giffin

Conservation status and recovery strategies for endemic Hawaiian birds

Populations of endemic Hawaiian birds declined catastrophically following the colonization of the islands by Polynesians and later cultures. Extinction is still occurring, and recovery programs are urgently needed to prevent the disappearance of many other species. Programs to recover the endemic avifauna incorporate a variety of conceptual and practical approaches that are constrained by biologic
Authors
Paul C. Banko, Reginald E. David, James D. Jacobi, Winston E. Banko

Serological responses and immunity to superinfection with avian malaria in experimentally-infected Hawaii Amakihi

Six of seven Hawaii Amakihi (Hemignathus virens) with chronic malarial infections had no increases in peripheral parasitemia, declines in food consumption, or loss of body weight when rechallenged with the homologous isolate of Plasmodium relictum 61 to 62 days after initial infection. Five uninfected control amakihi exposed at the same time to infective mosquito bites developed acute infections w
Authors
Carter T. Atkinson, Robert J. Dusek, Julie K. Lease

Drepanidine movements in relation to food availability in subalpine woodland on Mauna Kea, Hawai'i

Flowers of the mamane tree (Sophoru chrysophylla) are the primary nectar source for Hawaiian honeycreepers in subalpine woodland on Mauna Kea Volcano on the island of Hawai‘i. Mamane seeds are the primary food resource of the endangered Palila (Loxioides bailleui), which is now restricted to subalpine woodland on Mauna Kea. The objectives of this study were to determine the patterns and relative s
Authors
Steven C. Hess, Paul C. Banko, Michelle H. Reynolds, Gregory J. Brenner, Leona P. Laniawe, James D. Jacobi

Pathogenicity, serological responses, and diagnosis of experimental and natural malarial infections in native Hawaiian thrushes

Omao (Myadestes obscurus) from the Hawaiian Islands typically have very low prevalences of infection with avian malaria (Plasmodium relictum) and it is not clear whether they share the same high susceptibility to this parasite that has been documented in native Hawaiian honeycreepers. We exposed four captive Omao to single infective mosquito bites and measured parasitemia, serological responses, a
Authors
Carter T. Atkinson, Julie K. Lease, B. M. Drake, N. P. Shema

Seedling mortality in Hawaiian rain forest: The role of small-scale physical disturbance

Most montane rain forests on the island of Hawaii consist of a closed canopy formed by Cibotium spp. tree ferns beneath an open canopy of emergent Metrosideros polymorpha trees. We used artificial seedlings to assess the extent to which physical disturbance caused by the senescing fronds of tree ferns and the activities of feral pigs might limit tree regeneration. Artificial seedlings were establi
Authors
Donald R. Drake, Linda W. Pratt

Water Resources Data: Hawaii and Other Pacific Areas, Water Year 2001. Volume 1. Hawaii

Water resources data for the 2001 water year for Hawaii consist of records of stage, discharge, and water quality of streams and springs; water levels and quality of water wells; and rainfall totals. * Water discharge for 71 gaging stations on streams, springs, and ditches. * Discharge data for 92 crest-stage partial-record stations. * Water-quality data for 5 streams, 24 partial-record stati
Authors
R.I. Taogoshi, M.F. Wong, D.C. Nishimoto, P.C. Teeters

Ground Water in Hawaii

Ground water is one of Hawaii's most important natural resources. It is used for drinking water, irrigation, and domestic, commercial, and industrial needs. Ground water provides about 99 percent of Hawaii's domestic water and about 50 percent of all freshwater used in the State. Total ground water pumped in Hawaii was about 500 million gallons per day during 1995, which is less than 3 percent of
Authors
Stephen B. Gingerich, Delwyn S. Oki

Characterization of poxviruses from forest birds in Hawaii

Two strains of avian pox viruses were isolated from cutaneous lesions in Hawaiian crows (Corvus hawaiiensis) examined in 1994 and a third from a biopsy obtained in 1992 from an infected bird of the Apapane species (Himatione sanguinea) by inoculation of the chorioallantoic membranes (CAM) of developing chicken embryos. The resulting proliferative CAM lesions contained eosinophilic cytoplasmic incl
Authors
Deoki N. Tripathy, William M. Schnitzlein, Patrick J. Morris, Don L. Janssen, Jeffery K. Zuba, Greg Massey, Carter T. Atkinson