ARTICLES ON HAWAIIAN
BIRDS AND BIRDWATCHING AND OTHER
PACIFIC WILDLIFE
Hawai'i Birding Hotspots No.8 - Kanaha State Waterbird Sanctuary, Maui
Kanaha Pond Waterbird Sanctuary is located on Maui's north shore between the
harbor and the airport in the shadow of the West Maui Mountains and Mount Haleakala. The pond is home to two endangered
species - the Hawaiian Stilt and the Hawaiian Coot, as well as providing sanctuary to many migrant shorebirds and
waterfowl.
Most of the large ponds in the Hawaiian Islands have been degraded or filled for development. Due to the continued destruction of many of Hawai'i's wetland areas Kanaha Pond was designated a registered natural landmark in late 1971 by the Department of the Interior, one of only two such sites registered at the time.
Kanaha pond is historically significant. In the early 1700's Kapiiohookalani, King of Maui, ordered the construction of twin fish ponds, one of them is the present-day Kanaha Pond. Stones of the walls of the ponds were passed from hand to hand for half a mile by a long line of workmen, many imported from Moloka'i, according to legend. The ponds were used for storing and fattening fish, because Hawaiian custom prohibited catching or eating fish from the sea during the yearly three-to-five month breeding season. It was permissible, however, to eat fish taken from freshwater ponds.
In the early 1800's King Kamehameha named the ponds Mauoni and Kanaha after the son and daughter of Kapiiohookalani. Until the early 1900's the ponds produced huge quantities of mullet. The water was clean, and natural springs filled the ponds and continuously overflowed through an open ditch in Kahului Harbor. The harbor was dredged in about 1910, however, and Mauoni pond was filled and is now occupied by oil storage tanks and industrial areas. When Mauoni was filled, part of the overflow ditch was also filled and this resulted in Kanaha Pond becoming less clear and during hot summers part of the pond would dry up and release offensive odours.
Over time, as the pond's use as a fish pond decreased and the importance of the site
as a refuge for birds became clear. Since the turn of the twentieth century the pond has functioned primarily as
a waterfowl and shorebird sanctuary. Before the Second World War, Kanaha Pond was owned by the Hawaiian Commercial
and Sugar Company. During the War, the HC & S donated the land, which included Kanaha Pond, to the U.S. Navy.
In 1951 the Hawaiian government formally designated the pond as a bird refuge.
In 1959 the state legislature appropriated $15,000 to improve the area and the Maui County government appointed a Citizens Advisory Committee. More funding was obtained, and in 1961 the state legislature made long-term plans which included bird-feeding stations, observation areas and a picnic area, as well as an experimental dredging to try to eliminate the offensive odour, which manifested itself during the summer months.
At this time the Department of Land and Natural Resources was required to request permission from the Department of Transportation to allow improvements of the sanctuary. The pond and surrounding area had been set aside for public recreation and wildlife purposes under a revocable permit issued by the Hawaii Department of Transportation in accordance with terms of the deed. Under the terms of the deed if the land was to be used for any purpose other than airport business, it would need to be approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The FAA turned down the request, under the grounds that flying birds may be a hazard to aircraft. After two independent research projects, which showed that birds visiting the pond do not fly high enough to affect the airport, permission was eventually granted. In 1973 an agreement was signed that would allow construction of protective moats and nesting places, improvement of observation shelters and occasional dredging to eliminate the summer-time smells. Some new areas of habitat have been created in 2002 by Fern Duvall and DOFAW staff at Kanaha. An area in the large pond where it appears to have been worked on by DOFAW staff has been used extensively by stilts, coots, shorebirds and ducks. The three main areas that offer the best birding are the treatment plant pond, the canal, and the phase II wetlands.
TREATMENT PLANT POND: The sewage treatment pond along Amala Road. Turn makai on the first
road past the
treatment plant. Viewing isn't great (you have to peer through chain link), but Gulls, lots of Hawaiian Stilts, Night Heron and various shorebirds have been
seen from here.
CANAL -- (BRIDGE): The canal under the bridge on Amala Road has water year round and is a breeding site for Hawaiian Stilts, Hawaiian Ducks and Hawaiian Coots.
PHASE II WETLANDS -- (4 CONCRETE BUILDINGS): Drive down Amala Road until you see the four concrete buildings on the makai side, between the bridge and the intersection to the airport. There is a sand road that goes to the ocean, the wetlands on either side of that sand road provide good birding when the wetlands are inundated.
Today, the pond is a good location to search for migrants, as well as observing nesting Hawaiian Stilts and Hawaiian Coots. The pond has a small concrete observation hide, which is located just off from the parking lot. The refuge is open all year and there are no entrance fees. It's close proximity to the airport make it a good site to check just after landing or just before leaving. Accessed from the road between the airport and Kahului. The pond is on the seaward side of the Hana Highway (Rte 32 and 396).
Hawaiian Stilt (left) and
Hawaiian Coot are present in good numbers as well
as Night Herons and a growing population of Cattle Egrets.
Migrants regularly turn up and often include Blue-winged and Green-winged Teal,
American Wigeon, Ring-necked Duck, Lesser Scaup and sometimes Eurasian Wigeon, and have also included several rarities.
Shorebirds have included Lesser
Yellowlegs, Long-billed Dowitcher, Pectoral, Sharp-tailed and Least Sandpipers, Semipalmated and
Black-bellied Plovers, Bar-tailed
Godwit, Ruff,
Red Phalarope and in 2000 the State's first confirmed
record of Black-tailed Godwit. The best areas
for shorebirds are the small pools and marshy areas along the fence line either side of the parking lot. It is
also a good idea to walk a little further along the fenceline towards the airport, as several pools not observable
from the bird shelter can be viewed from here; they often hold Sandpipers or Stints.
Gulls and Terns appear now and again, with at least one gull species recorded annually. The species most often recorded are Ring-billed and Laughing Gulls, but Herring, Bonaparte's, Glaucous-winged and Western have been recorded.
Ospreys are often, though not annually recorded at this site and are often seen perched in trees at the rear of the ponds, winter is best for this species. Birds will often move between here and Kealia Pond during the day.
Most of the expected common introduced species can be seen here too, such as Waxbills, Sparrows and Cardinals, although there
are better sites on Maui to look for these species. This is a fairly underwatched site and no doubt many species
go by unnoticed.
Useful information about Kanaha State Waterbird Sanctuary.
| LOCATION | Accessed from the road between the airport and Kahului. The pond is on the seaward side of the Hana Highway (Rte 32 and 396). | A small concrete birdwatching hide (view from hide pictured right) is situated by the main gate and parking lot, and gives views across most of the pond. | ||
| OPENING TIMES | Viewable from the road 24 hours. | Gate to hide locked at night. | ||
| ENTRANCE FEE | None. | |||
| GUIDED TOURS | None. | |||
| BIRD SPECIES OBSERVED | At least 90 species (approximate). | c.35 species recorded annually, c.18 breeding annually. | ||
| USEFUL READING | Birds of Hawaii and the Tropical Pacific by H.D. Pratt et al. Hawaii's Birds by The Hawaii Audubon Society. |
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| LINKS | None. |
