Hope for Laysan Duck

The state of Hawaii and other nearby islands and atolls host a number of endangered bird species, not to mention other critters and flora. In fact, the Hawaiian islands contain the highest number of endangered and threatened species within the United States.

Despite that depressing thought about paradise, good news does emerge occasionally from the Pacific. For instance, Laysan Duck was placed on the federal endangered species list in the mid-1960s.

Now, the species might be able to increase its limited numbers. Twenty ducklings fitted with transmitters appear to be thriving after being taken from Laysan Island in Hawaiian Islands National Wildlife Refuge to Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge.

Photo courtesy of U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.