Saving imperiled native Hawaiian birds: Leveraging avian malaria and mosquito ecology research to support effective mosquito control in Hawaiʻi
USGS Friday's Findings Webinar - August 7, 2026
August 8 marks Hawaiian Honeycreeper Celebration Day, which recognizes Hawai'i's unique native forest birds. This Friday's Findings will showcase how USGS scientists are helping support native bird conservation in Hawai'i.
Date
Friday, August 7, 2026, 2:00–2:30 pm ET / 11:00–11:30 am PT
Speaker
Katherine McClure, Research Ecologist, Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center
Webinar Summary
Avian malaria, spread by the invasive southern house mosquito, Culex quinquefasciatus, is driving precipitous declines in native Hawaiian honeycreepers. As warming temperatures allow mosquitoes to move upslope into formerly safe forest refuges, even small increases in mosquito occurrence and abundance can trigger severe population losses, pushing critically endangered singleisland endemics such as the ‘akikiki and ‘akeke‘e on Kauaʻi and the kiwikiu and ʻākohekohe on Maui to the brink of extinction. Ensuring the survival of these species depends on reducing or eliminating malaria transmission, which requires a clearer understanding of mosquito ecology and disease dynamics. This talk highlights current Hawaiian honeycreeper population trends and details research aimed at clarifying mosquito and avian malaria disease ecology to support effective monitoring and control of Culex quinquefasciatus in Hawaiʻi.
Series Info
Friday’s Findings is a twice‑monthly public webinar series hosted by the USGS Ecosystems Mission Area.