It is a general rule that, as among plants, numbers and species of birds
decrease as one goes up a mountain. It is true also that native Hawaiian
birds are to be found mostly in upland forests. Of the members of the
endemic nectar-sipping family, DREPANIDAE, _'apapane_ and _'i'iwi_ may
be seen up to 8,500 feet. They are associated with ohia which give them
their food. _'Amakihi_ are fond of the mamane blossoms, so it is not
surprising to find them widespread although not numerous in the park.
Far rarer is the little Maui creeper, _'alauahio_, which finds insects
and spiders for food in the bark of trunks and branches of trees and
shrubs. It follows the latter up to the Alpine Zone.
Except for migrants and sea birds, other natives nowadays are absent.
Occasionally an Hawaiian owl, _pueo_, has been seen flying over
grasslands near the park entrance and at Paliku. Tropic birds, _koa'e_,
occasionally soar around the cliffs inside the crater. The dark-rumped
petrel, _'ua'u_, a vanishing species, is heard at night back of Holua
and Kapalaoa cabins, and at Leleiwi Overlook. This pigeon-sized bird of
the ocean nests in burrows 4-6 feet deep, at the bases of cliffs in the
crater. Both young and adults were formerly hunted, often with nets,
because they were highly prized as food. Bird catching was an important
occupation of Hawaiians; at times one stumbles upon the remains of
shelter caves and campsites used by them in a lonely mountain vastness.
Except the period from early May to mid-August while it is away on its
migration to Alaska, the golden plover, _kolea_, is a most conspicuous
bird inside and outside the crater.
Introduced birds are everywhere. The Japanese white-eye or _mejiro_ can
be found in vegetation up to the Alpine Zone. It is especially common at
Paliku, the most rewarding bird area in the park. The Pekin nightingale
or Japanese hill robin, _sochi-cho_, goes all the way to the summit. I
observed a pair at the structure on Red Hill, and picked up a dead one
above the elevation of the Observatory. They sing in the trees around
Paliku. Linnets and skylarks are often seen or heard anywhere up to the
Alpine Zone. Commoner at low elevations, a mockingbird appears
infrequently above Park Headquarters, and mynahs visit the inn grounds
in summer. They also appear at Paliku. English sparrows may linger
around the horse barns, as expected.
The most conspicuous and commonest Haleakala birds are introduced
game-birds. Ringnecked pheasants are flushed or heard up to 8,500 feet,
while Chukar partridges are numerous from 7,500 to 10,000 feet. Both of
these are abundant in the crater. The Chukar, only a newcomer here, is
already definitely at home. California quail scurry from the road or
trail at elevations up to 7,500 feet. In 1958, 27 Erchel's francolin
were released just below the park line near the inn, but success of
their establishment is still a question.
The bat was apparently the only mammal living in Hawaii at the time when
Polynesian navigators first visited here. They carried the pig, dog, and
tramp rat along with them on their voyages. After Cook, many mammals
were brought in, some of which readily reverted to a wild state. These
include sheep, goats, cattle, horses, burros, dogs, cats, and mongooses.
The feral goat is the problem child of the Haleakala area. Often a
beautiful creature, with long, black, flowing hair, it soon exterminates
silversword, mamane, and desirable vegetation wherever it is left
uncontrolled. Upon being forceably separated from its mother, the
terrified kid quickly becomes tame and attaches itself as closely to the
human associate as it did to its natural parent. Occasionally a stray
dog that has reverted to the wild is seen in the park area. It is only a
reminder of the days of the past century when packs roamed the side of
the mountain and harassed visitors with their ferocity. Joining their
members were wild bullocks that also constituted a threat. These were
inevitably mentioned in all journals of early visitors. In the wet
forested areas below Koolau Gap, on the fringe of upper Kipahulu Valley,
and along the rim at Waianapanapa, pigs flourish in bliss that is broken
only occasionally by a local hunter who seeks them just outside the
boundary of the park.