Possibility of Including Hawaii into the ABA

Recently I came across some news about the possibility of including Hawaii into the ABA region. I find this terrific news, not only will I now be able to travel to Hawaii and count the birds for my ABA list I will also be able to help preserve the fragile ecosystem. Hawaii is an extremely fragile ecosystem which has seen multiple extinctions in the past few decades due to the introduction of non-native or invasive species. If Hawaii becomes accepted into the ABA region this will allow birders their first chance to really explore the islands, pumping much needed funds into the restorations and preservation of land.

When humans first arrived in Hawaii, there were more than 140 species of native birds. All 80 species of landbirds, 4 species of seabirds, and 29 species of waterbirds were endemic (found nowhere else in the world). Today, over half of these birds are extinct. Thirty of the remaining 66 native bird species are endangered - threatened with extinction. With the help of the fund received from bird watching tours and tourism the remaining birds will have a better chance of survival. I encourage all to support the possible chance of Hawaii being added to the ABA region. For more information on this subject read Ted Eubanks article on annexing Hawaii into the ABA

http://blog.aba.org/2010/11/annex-hawaii.html.