Hawaii's endangered birds finally get attention

From the Honolulu Star-Bulletin:

Hawaii's at-risk wild birds might get a dose of national attention -- and money -- with a new publicity push by the nation's two largest bird conservation groups.

The American Bird Conservancy and the Audubon Society jointly issued a list last week of the American birds they agree are most in danger.

The new Audubon/American Bird Conservancy WatchList identifies 59 continental and 39 Hawaiian "red list" species of greatest concern, and 119 more mainland birds in the "yellow" category of seriously declining or rare species.

"Neither of us had Hawaiian birds on the list before," said David Pashley, the Bird Conservancy's vice president for conservation and co-author of the list. "Historically, we've been as guilty as anyone" of overlooking the 50th state's birds."