Impacts of Introduced Game Birds in Hawaii

In the high-elevation shrublands of Haleakala National Park on Mauai, Cole et al. (1995) found that Ring-necked Pheasants and Chukars “occupy, at least partially, an ecological niche once held by now-extinct or rare birds, and they appear not to be significant competitors with the endangered Nene. The role of these alien birds in facilitating seed dispersal and germination of native plant species is beneficial in restoring degraded ecosystems." The abstract is available here.

Citation: Cole, F. Russell, Lloyd L. Loope, Arthur C. Medeiros, Jane A. Raikes, and Cynthis S. Wood. 1995. Conservation implications of introduced game birds in high-elevation Hawaiian shrubland. Conservation Biology 9: 306-313.