Shearwater Fallout Season

Written By Thomas Daubert

Photo Credits: Save Our Shearwaters, USFWS

Every year on Kauaʻi, between late September and mid-December, shearwater and petrel fledglings will leave their burrows and take their first flight out to sea.

These young birds use the light of the moon and stars to navigate out to see and can become attracted to man-made outdoor lighting. The fledglings circle the lights until they become disoriented and exhausted and fall to the ground, where they may be injured or killed by cars, cats and dogs.

If you find a downed seabird and it is not near a burrow, please call the Save Our Shearwaters hotline (808) 635-5117 and deliver it to a aid station near you.

Ways to Help:

  • Turn outdoor lights off from October through December.

  • Use only downward facing exterior lighting.

  • Keep cats indoors and dogs on leashes.

  • Do not feed feral cats or support feral cat colonies.

  • Keep a clean towel and ventilated cardboard box in your car.

More Resources:

For more information and tips on how you can help, please visit these partners online:

Save Our Shearwaters (808) 635-5117

Kauaʻi Endangered Seabird Recovery Project

Enjoy this delightful and informative video describing how to assist a downed bird.

Thomas Daubert
Previous

KONG Radio DJ for an Hour
Next

Reflections from a Founding USFWS Team Member