SUSAN SCOTT’S KōLEA COUNT

By: Alyssa Mincer, Seawords

Kōlea. By: Forest Starr and Kim Starr, Flickr.

“Well, now I am caught.” Melting into the gentle yet assertive grasp of a curious human investigator, the Pacific Golden Plover, known in Hawai ‘i as the kōlea, admits defeat with a series of high-pitched whistles. The strange sense of tranquility that washes over the bird in response to a capture has not been readily observed, a result of the bird’s constant state of alertness to its surroundings. With the guidance of plover expert, Oscar “Wally” Johnson, one fortunate individual, Susan Scott, was able to experience the pure joy of holding a kōlea within her hands, an encounter which she would later describe as “a privilege.” In an interview with Susan, who is a marine biologist, science writer, as well as certified ‘plover-lover,’ she discusses the launch of her new website, https://www.koleacount.org/, which is aimed at providing an accessible way for the community to get engaged in the awareness and conservation of Hawai ‘i’s kōlea. A census, or count of a specified population, is an invaluable tool for recording and examining population numbers and habits of a group. Counting individual birds, however, can be a tedious, overbearing task, especially if the bird of focus is the migratory kōlea. In fact, the last kōlea census was taken almost sixty years ago, and data has since become obsolete. As a result of this lack of information, which has led to discrepancies regarding the general knowledge of kōlea habits and tendencies, Susan Scott created a website dedicated to the consideration of this native Hawaiian shorebird. The website features an abundance of exceptional kōlea photos, the majority of which are captured by Susan herself. Formatted in an easy-to-read fashion for the availability of the general public, the website is assembled in such a manner designed to increase common knowledge and conservation practices surrounding the bird. Several tabs on the webpage provide informative facts about the kōlea, supplemented by Susan’s passionate, stylistic writing. She goes into depth concerning the scientific background of the kōlea, detailing its lifestyle and migration patterns; additionally, Susan describes the means by which individuals can personally engage with the bird, such as through feeding and knowing how to help an injured kōlea.

Susan Scott’s Kōlea Count

Seawords Associate Editor

Sponsored by the Hawai‘i Audubon Society, a non-profit membership organization with goals of avian restoration, the kōlea counting website’s main goal in conservation. Individuals in the community, as well as scientists, are encouraged to input valuable, observational information concerning local sightings of kōlea. Under the tab labelled, “Report Your Kōlea,” users can fill out a form that includes the location address or description, days seen, color of leg band, photos, personal nicknames, and geographic coordinates of a specific bird. Since kōleas are territorial, they tend to claim a territory and return to the same area year after year; this habit simplifies the counting process, and allows for people to recognize individual birds. The recording of the shorebirds, which is then added for public view on the website’s “ Kōlea Database,” equips researchers and the scientific community with population statistics of the bird’s distribution and migration patterns. In a world deleteriously impacted by the effects of global warming and pollution, these variables, when analyzed, will deliver substantial insight into the health of the kōlea population as a whole. Although the website is still undergoing constant refinements, it remains accessible for public use. According to Susan, “it is expected to go live in late March.” Visit https:// www.koleacount.org to learn more!