Michelle H Reynolds, Ph.D. (Former Employee)

Precise and unbiased estimates of demographic parameters are necessary for effective population monitoring and to parameterize population models (e.g., population viability analyses). This is especially important for endangered species, where recovery planning and managers' decisions can influence species persistence. In this study, we used mark–recapture methods to estimate survival of...

Nearly 70 percent of Hawaii's native bird species are found nowhere else on Earth, and many of these species are declining or in danger of extinction. Although the Hawaiian Islands were once home to a remarkable diversity of waterfowl, only three species remain-the Hawaiian Goose (Nene), Laysan Duck, and Hawaiian Duck (Koloa maoli)-all Federally endangered. The Koloa maoli is the only...

The Laysan Teal Anas laysanensis is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands, where it has been restricted to Laysan Island over the last 150 years. Individuals of this endangered species have recently been translocated to the two largest islands that comprise Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, to reduce the risk of the Laysan Teal becoming extinct. Post-release monitoring with the aid of...

Factors influencing breeding initiation of the endangered Laysan Teal Anas laysanensis were studied on Laysan Island in the Hawaiian Islands National Wildlife Refuge between 1998 and 2006. Sixty-two radio-tagged adult females were tracked for 30-180 days to locate and describe their nest sites. In addition, the Laysan Teal were surveyed daily during the breeding season, and 331...

The ability to detect trends in population abundance is of obvious interest to wildlife managers. In recent years, the probability of detecting defined population trends has been the most common method of assessing monitoring programs. Such analyses require many assumptions, including a model for population change and a model for variance. To demonstrate potential effects of these...

The Laysan duck (Anas laysanensis), also known as the Laysan teal because of its small size, is a critically endangered waterfowl species that once occurred widely across the Hawaiian Archipelago. For the past 150 years, however, it was restricted to a single population on Laysan, a 4-square-kilometer (1.5-square-mile) island with a hypersaline shallow lake. Laysan is part of the...

The Laysan teal (Anas laysanensis) is an endangered dabbling duck endemic to the Hawaiian Archipelago but currently restricted to a single breeding population on Laysan Island. We studied its diet using fecal analysis and behavioral observations. Laysan teal fecal samples (N=118) contained prey items in 15 primary prey categories with a mean of 2.9 (range 0-7) taxa per sample. Sixty-two...

BACKGROUND Island ecosystems throughout the Pacific have undergone catastrophic species loss, largely due to the effects of alien or non-native species. Rats, in particular, pose significant threats to native species. In Hawai`i, the appearance of rats (which are not native to Hawai`i) in the subfossil record coincides with the disappearance of ground nesting birds. Sadly, only three of...

The Laysan Teal Anas laysanensis is an endangered anatid of the Hawaiian Islands, currently restricted to an emergent atoll, Laysan Island. Laysan Island lacks terrestrial mammalian predators, which permits the examination of mortality rates and causes without the anthropogenic effects of introduced predators. Mass and morophometrics were measured during the colour-marking of 297 Laysan...

The 24-hour habitat use and home range of the Laysan Teal (Anas laysanensis), an endemic dabbling duck in Hawaii, was studied using radio telemetry during 1998-2000. Radios were retained for a mean of 40 days (0-123 d; 73 adult birds radio-tagged). Comparisons of daily habitat use were made for birds in the morning, day, evening, and night. Most birds showed strong evidence of selective...

We evaluated the abundance and distribution of low-elevation forest birds on windward Hawai'i Island during August 1993-February 1994, and present evidence of changes in the species composition of the forest bird community since 1979. Endemic Hawaiian birds occurred in native-dominated forests as low as 120 m elevation. Non-native species were detected at all survey locations. We...

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...