Hawaii Tropical Low Shrublands (OC0702)

Blogs posted from this ecoregion:

The ecoregion is exclusive to the US state of Hawaii and occurs on the coastal leeward (western) slopes of all of the main islands. This ecoregion also includes the terrestrial portions of all of the northwestern Hawaiian Islands, mostly comprised of atolls and small basalt remnants, but also including Midway, Laysan, and Kure Islands.

On all the islands, the only adjacent ecoregion is the Hawaii Tropical Dry Forests (OC0202).

On Oahu, the ecoregion essentially consists of the thin coastal strip (approximately 2 to 4 km wide) along the entire southern and southwestern shore. Starting in the east, the ecoregion extends from Makapuu point westward (excluding north shore of Maunalua Bay), through Honolulu (essentially areas coastward of Highway 1), the area south of Pearl Harbour, and up the coast all the way to Kaena Point.

OC0702


Description of the Ecoregion

A detailed description of the ecoregion can be found at WWF’s site (the map above is a screen shot from that Wildfinder site). There may also be additional information to be found on this ecoregion’s page at Wikipedia.

As described by WWF, the ecoregion includes grasslands and mixed shrublands. Non-tree diversity is high (more than 200 species) with 90% of species endemic to the ecoregion. Tree diversity is low. The ecoregion is highly degraded with more than 90% of original habitat converted to agricultural and urban areas.

Birds of the Ecoregion

Extant endemic native species of Hawaii tend to occur in forested areas so there probably are no endemic bird species in this dry scrubby ecoregion on the main Hawaiian islands but note that there are a few species that are endemic to this ecoregion in the northwestern Hawaiian islands (Laysan Duck, Millerbird, Laysan Finch, and Nihoa Finch).

The expected species of this ecoregion will be most of the species in the Hawaii list below, except for those restricted to moist forest areas.

Resources for the Ecoregion Birder

The following resources have caught my attention and would be of value to the birder traveling to this ecoregion:

  • The Birds of Hawaii and the Tropical Pacific (H. Douglas Pratt, Phillip L. Bruner, and Delwyn G. Berrett, illustrated by H. Douglas Pratt), Princeton University Press, 1987.
  • To draw up the list below, I consulted eBird, retrieving consolidated data for 2010-2016 for Kauai County for Kauai; Honolulu County for Oahu; Maui County for the three islands together of Molokai, Lanai, and Maui; and Hawaii County for Hawaii. Note that eBird data is aggregated by county and not by island and data for Molokai and Lanai is limited and not useful for doing separate lists for those islands; most of the Maui County checklists are from Maui.

List of Characteristic Bird Species of Hawaii (main islands)

For a fuller definition of “characteristic species” of an ecoregion, see the About tab. The list does not include rare or accidental visitors nor pelagic species (unless breeding). Species are classed as seasonal breeders (s), resident (r), migrants (m), or wintering (w). Species endemic to the Hawaiian islands are in bold, and introduced species are in italics.

Although normally I present a list of characteristic species by ecoregion, it did not seem to be practical to do so broken down by the islands’ ecoregions because the islands are so small, and the habitats so perturbed and converted, that any given species could occur almost anywhere. Thus I present a consolidated list that covers all the main islands.

There are three ecoregions on each of the main islands (Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Maui, Lanai and Hawaii): Hawaii Tropical Low Shrublands (OC0702), Hawaii Tropical Dry Forests (OC0202), and Hawaii Tropical Moist Forests (OC0106). (In addition, the Hawaii Tropical High Shrublands, OC0701, occurs on Maui and Hawaii but is quite a distinctive ecoregion, q.v.).

To help determine likely distributions by ecoregion, the list below notes if the species is typically coastal (thus occurring in all 3 ecoregions), of freshwater habitats (presumably all 3), urban/agricultural (presumably all 3), of shrubland/drier forest areas (mostly Tropical Low Shrublands or Tropical Dry Forests), or of moist forest areas (mostly Tropical Moist Forests).  Pratt, et al. (1987) was my basic source for habitat preferences.

Those species with only spotty records in eBird (2010-2016) for any given island (without continuous records extending over at least 2 months) are considered too rare to be considered characteristic but all extant endemic species are included below, even if rare.

  • Greater White-fronted Goose (w) wetlands, coastal (Oahu)
  • Brant (w) wetlands, coastal (Oahu; Maui County)
  • Cackling Goose (w) coastal, wetlands (Oahu, Hawaii)
  • Canada Goose (w) coastal, wetlands (Hawaii, rare elsewhere)
  • Hawaiian Goose (r) rocky volcanic slopes (its range is now restricted to Kauai, Molokai, Maui, and Hawaii)
  • Gadwall (w) freshwater wetlands (Hawaii, rare elsewhere)
  • Eurasian Wigeon (w) freshwater wetlands (Oahu, Hawaii)
  • American Wigeon (w) freshwater wetlands (Oahu, Hawaii)
  • Mallard (r) freshwater wetlands; semi-feral but occasional wild visitors possible (Kauai, Oahu, Maui County, Hawaii)
  • Hawaiian Duck (r) wetlands, agricultural areas, mountain streams (Kauai; extirpated on Oahu and then reintroduced but only a very few recent scattered records)
  • Northern Shoveler (w) freshwater wetlands (Kauai, Oahu, Maui County, Hawaii)
  • Northern Pintail (w) freshwater wetlands, coastal (Kauai, Oahu, Maui County, Hawaii)
  • Green-winged Teal (w) freshwater wetlands (Oahu, Hawaii)
  • Ring-necked Duck (w) wetlands, coastal (Oahu, Hawaii)
  • Tufted Duck (w) wetlands, coastal (Oahu)
  • Greater Scaup (w) coastal (Oahu, Hawaii)
  • Lesser Scaup (w) freshwater wetlands, coastal (Oahu, Maui County, Hawaii)
  • Bufflehead (w) coastal (Oahu)
  • California Quail (r) grasslands bordering woody areas (Hawaii)
  • Indian Peafowl (r) dense forests (Oahu, Hawaii)
  • Chukar (r) barren high slopes (Maui County, Hawaii)
  • Erckel’s Francolin (r) grasslands, open forests (Kauai, Oahu, Hawaii)
  • Black Francolin (r) open grasslands (Kauai, Oahu, Maui County, Hawaii)
  • Gray Francolin (r) dry habitats (Oahu, Maui County, Hawaii)
  • Red Junglefowl (r) dense forests (Kauai, Oahu, Maui County, Hawaii)
  • Ring-necked Pheasant (r) all habitats except dense rain forests (Kauai, Oahu, Maui County, Hawaii)
  • Kalij Pheasant (r) forests (Hawaii)
  • Wild Turkey (r) forests (Maui County, Hawaii)
  • Black-footed Albatross (s) (breeding only on NW islands)
  • Laysan Albatross (s) pelagic but breeds on some islands (Kauai, Oahu)
  • Hawaiian Petrel (s) nests high barren slopes (Kauai, Maui, Lanai, Hawaii)
  • Wedge-tailed Shearwater (s) pelagic but breeds on some islands (Kauai, Oahu, Maui County, Hawaii)
  • Newell’s Shearwater (s) coastal (Kauai)
  • White-tailed Tropicbird (r) marine but often seen inland (Kauai, Oahu, Maui County, Hawaii)
  • Red-tailed Tropicbird (r) marine, nesting coastally (Kauai, Oahu)
  • Great Frigatebird (r) coastal (Kauai, Oahu, Maui County, Hawaii)
  • Masked Booby (r) coastal (Oahu)
  • Brown Booby (r) coastal (Kauai, Oahu, Maui County, Hawaii)
  • Red-footed Booby (r) coastal (Kauai, Oahu)
  • Cattle Egret (r) agricultural areas, open habitats (Kauai, Oahu, Maui County, Hawaii)
  • Black-crowned Night-heron (r) wetlands, mountain streams (Kauai, Oahu, Maui County, Hawaii)
  • White-faced Ibis (r) wetlands (Oahu, Maui County, Hawaii)
  • Hawaiian Hawk (r) variety of habitats except the driest (Hawaii)
  • Common Gallinule (r) wetlands (Kauai, Oahu)
  • Hawaiian Coot (r) wetlands (Kauai, Oahu, Maui County, Hawaii)
  • Black-necked Stilt (r) mudflats, wet grassy areas (Kauai, Oahu, Maui County, Hawaii); endemic Hawaiian sub-species
  • Pacific Golden-Plover open areas (w) (Kauai, Oahu, Maui County, Hawaii)
  • Semipalmated Plover (w) beaches, mudflats (Oahu, Maui County)
  • Whimbrel coastal (w) (Oahu)
  • Bristle-thighed Curlew (w) mudflats, grasslands (even high altitude) (Oahu)
  • Ruddy Turnstone shorelines, grassy areas (w) (Kauai, Oahu, Maui County, Hawaii)
  • Red Knot (w) coastal (Oahu)
  • Sharp-tailed Sandpiper (m) wetlands (Oahu)
  • Sanderling (w) beaches (Kauai, Oahu, Maui County, Hawaii)
  • Dunlin (m) (Maui County, rare elsewhere)
  • Least Sandpiper (w) wetlands (Oahu, Maui County)
  • Pectoral Sandpiper (w) freshwater wetlands (Oahu, Maui County)
  • Long-billed Dowitcher (w) freshwater wetlands (Oahu, Maui County)
  • Wilson’s Snipe (w) wetlands (Oahu)
  • Terek Sandpiper (x) mudflats (rare Oahu)
  • Wandering Tattler (w) rocky shorelines (Kauai, Oahu, Maui County, Hawaii)
  • Lesser Yellowlegs (x) wetlands (rare Oahu and elsewhere)
  • Laughing Gull (w) coastal (Oahu, Maui County, Hawaii)
  • Mew Gull (w) coastal (Oahu)
  • Ring-billed Gull (w) (Oahu)
  • Brown Noddy (r) coastal (Kauai, Oahu)
  • Black Noddy (r) coastal (Kauai, Oahu, Maui County, Hawaii)
  • White Tern (r) coastal, even urban areas (Oahu)
  • Sooty Tern (s) coastal (Kauai, Oahu)
  • Gray-backed Tern (s) usually offshore (Oahu)
  • Least Tern (w) coastal (Oahu, Hawaii)
  • Caspian Tern (x) coastal (Oahu)
  • Common Tern (x) coastal (Oahu)
  • Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse (r) grasslands (Hawaii)
  • Rock Pigeon (r) urban (Kauai, Oahu, Maui County, Hawaii)
  • Spotted Dove (r) variety of habitats (Kauai, Oahu, Maui County, Hawaii)
  • Zebra Dove (r) drier areas, urban habitats (Kauai, Oahu, Maui County, Hawaii)
  • Mourning Dove (r) open dry or agricultural areas (Oahu, Maui County, Hawaii)
  • Barn Owl (r) variety of habitats (Kauai, Oahu, Maui County, Hawaii)
  • Short-eared Owl (r) (Kauai, rare Oahu, Maui County, Hawaii)
  • Mariana Swiftlet (r?) forests? (Oahu)
  • Rose-ringed Parakeet (r) dry scrubland, agricultural areas (Kauai, Oahu)
  • Rosy-faced Lovebird (r) habitats?; established? (Maui County)
  • Red-crowned Parrot (r) forests?; established? (Oahu)
  • Red-masked Parakeet (r) habitats?; established? (Oahu, Hawaii)
  • Kauai Elepaio (r) forests (Kauai)
  • Oahu Elepaio (r) forests (Oahu)
  • Hawaii Elepaio (r) forests (Hawaii)
  • Eurasian Skylark (r) open areas, grasslands (Oahu, Maui County, Hawaii)
  • Red-vented Bulbul (r) urban areas but also other habitats (Oahu)
  • Red-whiskered Bulbul (r) suburban areas (Oahu)
  • Japanese Bush-Warbler (r) forests (Kauai, Oahu, Maui County, Hawaii)
  • Japanese White-eye (r) variety of habitats (Kauai, Oahu, Maui County, Hawaii)
  • Chinese Hwamei (r) forests (Kauai, Oahu, Maui County, Hawaii)
  • Greater Necklaced Laughingthrush (r) lowland wet forests (Kauai)
  • Red-billed Leiothrix (r) forested areas (Oahu, Maui County, Hawaii)
  • White-rumped Shama (r) forested areas (Kauai, Oahu)
  • Puaiohi (r) dense forests (Kauai)
  • Omao (r) forests, alpine zone (Hawaii)
  • Northern Mockingbird (r) dry bushy areas (Kauai, Oahu, Maui County, Hawaii)
  • Common Myna (r) urban, all areas except dense forest (Kauai, Oahu, Maui County, Hawaii)
  • Red-crested Cardinal (r) dry thickets, suburban areas (Kauai, Oahu, Maui County)
  • Yellow-billed Cardinal (r) dry scrub (Hawaii)
  • Saffron Finch (r) open grassy areas (Kauai, Oahu, Hawaii)
  • Northern Cardinal (r) suburban areas, forests (Kauai, Oahu, Maui County, Hawaii)
  • Western Meadowlark (r) lowland fields (Kauai)
  • Akikiki (r) high native forests (Kauai)
  • Palila (r) forests (Hawaii)
  • Maui Alauahio (r) forests (Maui, extirpated Lanai)
  • Akohekohe (r) forests (Maui, prob. extirpated Molokai)
  • Apapane (r) forests (Kauai, Oahu, Maui County, Hawaii)
  • Iiwi (r) forests (Kauai, Maui County, Hawaii)
  • Maui Parrotbill (r) forests (Maui)
  • Anianiau (r) forests (Kauai)
  • Akiapolaau (r) forests (Hawaii)
  • Kauai Amakihi (r) drier forest types (Kauai)
  • Oahu Amakihi (r) drier forest types (Oahu)
  • Hawaii Amakihi (r) drier forest types (Maui County, Hawaii)
  • Akekee (r) wet forests (Kauai)
  • Hawaii Creeper (r) mixed koa/ohia forests (Hawaii)
  • Hawaii Akepa (r) forests (Hawaii)
  • House Finch (r) wide range of habitats, urban areas (Kauai, Oahu, Maui County, Hawaii)
  • Yellow-fronted Canary (r) park-like dry forests (Oahu, Hawaii)
  • House Sparrow (r) urban areas (Kauai, Oahu, Maui County, Hawaii)
  • Orange-cheeked Waxbill (r) grassy areas (Maui County)
  • Lavender Waxbill (r) grassy areas (Hawaii)
  • Common Waxbill (r) grassy areas (Oahu, Hawaii)
  • Red Avadavat (r) grassy areas (Kauai, Oahu, Hawaii)
  • African Silverbill (r) habitats? (Kauai, Oahu, Maui County, Hawaii)
  • Scaly-breasted Munia (r) open grassy areas (Kauai, Oahu, Maui County, Hawaii)
  • Chestnut Munia (r) habitats? (Kauai, Oahu, Maui County)
  • Java Sparrow (r) open grassy areas, urban areas (Kauai, Oahu, Maui County, Hawaii)