Hawaii's threatened animals — and how you can help

Even if the humpback whale is taken off the federal endangered species list, which could happen as early as next year according to a recent news report, Hawai'i will remain the state with by far the most threatened animal and plant species. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service currently counts 330 imperiled species in Hawai'i, with California the closest at 309.

The two states' endangered lists share the migratory humpback — as well as three kinds of sea turtles — but the remoteness of the Hawaiian Islands makes it understandable that most of their at-risk animals are truly unique. Since my recent Aloha Friday column on state emblems covered the plights of the Hawaiian goose (nēnē) and the monk seal ('ilio-holo-i-ka-uaua), here's a look at some of the other island inhabitants who need help — and how to give it.

HAWAIIAN HOARY BAT

Hawaiian name: 'Ōpe'ape'a (the bat's wings are said to look like pe'a, or canoe sails)

Scientifically speaking: Lasirus cinereus semotus

Federal status: Endangered

Down for the count: Estimates range from the hundreds to a few thousand, based on very limited data, for all the main islands. The threats to the tiny bat — the only native land mammal of Hawai'i — are more easily tallied: habitat loss, predators (cats and owls) and possibly pesticides.

Where to view: The nocturnal bat has been spotted on O'ahu, Maui and Moloka'i, but it primarily roosts in forested areas of Kaua'i and the Big Island, where it also makes its home in lava tubes and on cinder cones. In the early evening, the furry creature hunts for insects near streams and the shore — as at Hilo Bay or the Pu'uhonua O Hōnaunau and Hawai'i Volcanoes national parks — but may also find a meal around bug-attracting floodlights near homes and businesses.

What to do: If you're lucky enough to spot one, don't be afraid; if you find an injured bat, contact local authorities. Caring for two injured bats over a period of eight years, workers at the Honolulu Zoo found them to be "very docile and gentle creatures" who would fall asleep in their palms after feeding. Support for the Nature Conservancy, which statewide manages 11 preserves and a forest recovery project, can't hurt, either.

NEWELL'S SHEARWATER

Hawaiian name: 'A'o

Scientifically speaking: Puffinus auricularis newelli

Federal status: Threatened

Down for the count: Once widespread throughout the main islands, this native ground-nesting seabird was reportedly in danger of extinction by the 1930s, primarily due to introduced predators such as mongoose, cats and rats. Although the shearwater population was estimated at 84,000 in the mid-1990s, according to the Audubon Society, it "seems to be undergoing a startling decline," with urbanization the next biggest threat. At night the birds may crash into power lines erected in historic flight corridors, while fledglings, programmed to follow reflected moonlight to head seaward, become confused by lights on the shore and fall to the ground.

Where to view: More than 80 percent of 'a'o live on Kaua'i, where the Kīlauea Point National Wildlife Refuge hosts the only permanently protected colony with predator prevention. It's open daily, with naturalists and binoculars on hand to help you spot a variety of rare wildlife.

What to do: Especially on Kaua'i, visitors can help fledgings by turning off lights or closing curtains at night from mid-September to mid-December. This also benefits other native seabirds, including wedge-tailed shearwaters and Hawaiian petrels, who may also become disoriented at night. The Save Our Shearwaters program, now in its 30th year, encourages people who find a downed fledgling to take them in a towel to a firehouse or other specially marked aid station. About 2,000 a year are rescued this way, with 91 percent returned to the wild.

HAWAIIAN COMMON MOORHEN

Hawaiian style: 'Alae 'ula ("red forehead")

Scientifically speaking: Gallinula chloropus sandvicensis

Federal status: Endangered