Ninety-three percent of avian extinctions since 1600 have occurred on islands and half of the extant endangered birds in the world are island forms. All endemic waterbirds in Hawaii are endangered. These species exist as metapopulations because they occupy fragmented habitats and local dynamics are influenced by neighboring populations. Metapopulation models have served as a source of information regarding the status of endangered species in fragmented environments. Shorebird populations in fragmented wetlands provide an excellent natural laboratory to test assumptions and predictions of metapopulation models and their relevance to conservation biology. Thus, the purpose of this research is to quantify survival, reproduction, and movement among populations of the endangered Hawaiian stilt (Himantopus mexicanus knudseni), and to use these data as parameters for development of a model of metapopulation dynamics. Specifically, this research will (1) develop a metapopulation model that avoids errors due to incomplete knowledge of individual movements, (2) apply directly to understanding local population persistence and extinction of an endangered species, (3) provide an initial model applicable to additional endangered waterbirds in the Hawaiian Islands, and elsewhere, and (4) help to validate critical metapopulation model assumptions. %%% This study will provide critical information on rare species conservation. Results from this research will aid reserve design, site selection for wetland loss remediation, and predictions of population response to management actions. In addition, the model developed for Hawaiian Stilts will serve as a preliminary model for the conservation of other endangered waterbirds in Hawaii and worldwide.
