ʻAkēʻakē, or band-rumped storm petrels, are the rarest and smallest seabirds that breed in Hawaiʻi. Little is known about the ʻakēʻakē, which only come to shore under the cover of darkness.
While there are larger populations of these petrels throughout the Atlantic and Pacific, the Hawaiʻi population has dwindled significantly and is considered endangered.
ʻAkēʻakē are rarely spotted. They can spend days at a time at sea, and their nests are notoriously hard to find.
Researchers recently located an ʻakēʻakē nest in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park after years of searching, with some assistance from a highly trained canine biologist named Slater.
You'll likely have more luck listening for an ʻakēʻakē than looking for one. You can hear their breeding calls at night on the high elevation slopes of Hawaiʻi Island.
Audio credit: LOHE Bioacoustics Lab
