Researchers at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa have found no evidence that Indigenous Hawaiians hunted native waterbirds to extinction, challenging a 50-year-old belief. The study, published in Ecosphere, attributes declines to climate change, invasive species, and land-use shifts. It highlights the role of traditional stewardship in bird conservation.
A team led by Kristen C. Harmon, Melissa R. Price, and Kawika B. Winter analyzed historical data and rejected the narrative of overhunting by Polynesians or Native Hawaiians. Many environmental changes predated their arrival or followed disruptions to traditional land management, the researchers concluded. The paper, titled 'The “regime shift extinctions” hypothesis and mass extinction of waterbirds in Hawaiʻi,' appeared in Ecosphere's January 2026 issue (DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.70445), as provided by the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa associate professor Kawika Winter stated, “So much of science is biased by the notion that humans are inevitable agents of ecocide... Our study not only dispels this myth, but also contributes to a growing body of evidence that Indigenous stewardship represents the best ways for native birds to thrive. Lead author Kristen Harmon, who earned her PhD from UH Mānoa’s College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, added, “Science has matured to a point where graduate students are being trained to challenge its own long-standing world view... Bringing together information from different disciplines and knowledge systems can yield a more accurate picture of reality.” The findings focus on species like ʻalae ʻula (Gallinula chloropus) and ʻaeʻo (Himantopus mexicanus knudseni), suggesting wetland restoration through loʻi systems could aid recovery. Melissa Price, an associate professor at CTAHR, said, “Recent studies support what Hawaiians have always known -- that restoration of loʻi is critically important... If we wish to transform our islands from the 'Extinction Capital of the World' into the 'Recovery Capital of the World,' we need to restore relationships between nature and communities.” Ulalia Woodside Lee, executive director for The Nature Conservancy in Hawaii and Palmyra, noted the study's potential to rebuild trust: “For generations, Native Hawaiians have been criticized... This study will help us to move past those untruths, so that we can all move together into a brighter future where our native species are thriving again.”