From 200 to 1,500: Hawaii's Aeʻo bird recovery is a conservation success story

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reclassified the aeʻo (Hawaiian stilt) from endangered to threatened under the Endangered Species Act.

The aeʻo population increased from about 200 birds in the 1940s to over 1,500 after 50 years of wetland restoration and wildlife management.

Habitat loss from overhunting, agriculture, and urban development, plus predation by rats, mongooses, and cats, drove the species to near extinction.

A University of Hawaii at Mānoa study published in Ornithological Applications analyzed 50 years of nesting records and found improved nest success and chick survival due to habitat restoration and predator management.