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Honu'apo Park Resource Management Plan

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Honuÿapo <strong>Park</strong> Final <strong>Resource</strong>s <strong>Management</strong> <strong>Plan</strong><br />

(Urochola mutica) in drier zones, and seashore paspalum (Paspalum vaginatum) in<br />

the brackish intertidal zone. Makaloa (Cyperus laevigatus) and milo (Thespesia<br />

populnea) are among the few native species found in the intertidal marsh zone of<br />

the estuary.<br />

2.3.5 Fauna<br />

Honuÿapo <strong>Park</strong> has the potential to provide habitat for many species of birds, native<br />

and alien. Coastal and estuarine zones are habitat for a variety of indigenous<br />

migratory shorebirds, including the ruddy turnstone (Arenaria interpres), Pacific<br />

golden-plover (Pluvialis fulva), wandering tattler (Heteroscelus incanus), and<br />

possibly bristle-thighed curlew (Numenius tahitiensis) and sanderling (Calidris alba).<br />

The estuary could also support native water birds, including the indigenous blackcrowned<br />

night-heron (Nycticorax nycticorax hoactli) and the endangered Hawaiian<br />

coot (Fulica alai). The seabird black noddy or noio (Anous minutus melanogenys) is<br />

frequently seen flying in and out of refuges in the rocky coastal cliffs of the area,<br />

and the white-tailed tropic bird (Phaethon lepturus dorotheae) has been observed at<br />

Honuÿapo (NPS 2006). Introduced birds that are also common at Honuÿapo include<br />

the common barn owl (Tyto alba), northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis),<br />

Japanese white-eye (Zosterops japonicus), spotted dove (Streptopelia chinensis) and<br />

zebra dove (Geopelia striata).<br />

Other rare, endangered or threatened species with variable levels of occurrence in<br />

the area include the endangered Hawaiian hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus semotus),<br />

endangered Hawaiian duck (Anas wyvilliana), the endangered Hawaiian hawk<br />

(Buteo solitarius), and Hawaiian black-necked stilt or äe‘o (Himantopus mexicanus<br />

knudensi).<br />

The orange-black Hawaiian damselfly (Megalagrion xanthomelas), a candidate<br />

insect species for listing under the Endangered Species Act, has been seen at<br />

Honuÿapo Estuary.<br />

Several species of introduced animals including feral dogs (Canis familiaris), cats<br />

(Felis sylvestris catus), pigs (Sus scrofa), goats (Capra aegagrus hircus), rats (Rattus<br />

rattus), mice (Mus musculus) and mongooses (Herpestes auropunctatus) are present<br />

in the park area and are detrimental to native plant and animal species. The<br />

presence of cats, rats, and mongooses on the park property is believed to be the<br />

primary cause of low numbers of native bird sightings at Honuÿapo Estuary.<br />

2.3.6 Estuarine, Tide pool and Marine Habitats<br />

The rugged shoreline in the vicinity of Honuÿapo offers an array of habitats, ranging<br />

from coastal cliffs, to tide pools and spring-fed brackish wetlands, which produce a<br />

great diversity of biological communities. A limited survey by the National <strong>Park</strong><br />

Page 13

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