When Do Kolea Return to Hawaii?

BEHAVIOR. Kolea are strongly migratory. In Hawaii, individuals arrive in August-September and return to the same lawns and shorelines that they previously inhabited, with an 80% fidelity rate.

How long do Kolea birds live?

Kolea return to and vigorously defend the same spot in both their summer and winter grounds, an extreme example of what ornithologists call "site faithfulness." One bird returned to the same lawn at Bellows Air Force Station in windward Oahu for twenty-one years (unusual not so much for consistency as longevity: The ...

Do birds fly to Hawaii?

Arctic residents vacationing in Hawaii during the winter may recognize a familiar face – errr fowl. The kolea, known to the rest of the world as the Pacific golden plover, migrates to Hawaii and other warmer places in the Pacific during the winter to escape the harsh arctic cold.