HILO, Hawaiʻi – Recent incidents on Hawaiʻi Island are drawing attention to a disturbing threat to the critically endangered ‘io, or Hawaiian hawk: human interaction and abuse. On Monday, June 2, 2025, officials revealed details of a severely injured ‘io found in Mountain View, highlighting a pattern of harmful misconduct against the protected species.
Last month, a resident in Mountain View discovered an emaciated Hawaiian hawk on her property. The bird was missing the upper portion of its beak, an injury later determined by the Hawaiʻi Wildlife Center (HWC) to be human-caused. Unable to feed itself, the hawk sadly had to be euthanized. The incident was reported to the DLNR Divisions of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) and Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW). Raymond McGuire, a wildlife biologist with DOFAW, collected the bird and transported it to the HWC for examination.
This grim discovery followed a tip received by the HWC about a Craigslist post offering a “free hawk” in Mountain View the previous week. While that post, which has since been deleted, showed a bird with similar coloration that still had its full beak, it has not been determined if the two incidents are related.
“I just want to make people aware that these types of abuses are happening in our backyards and if community members see something, please say something,” urged Raymond McGuire.
In Hawaiʻi, endangered wildlife like the ‘io are afforded strong state protections under Hawaiʻi Revised Statutes. These laws prohibit the “taking” of endangered or threatened species, which encompasses harming, killing, or otherwise disrupting them.
McGuire emphasized the ongoing nature of these threats: “We’ve received several reports in recent years of shootings and other harmful misconduct aimed at Hawaiian hawks. We can all contribute to the protection of our native ʻio and stop the trend of abuse if we keep our eyes open and speak up.”
The Hawaiʻi Wildlife Center (HWC) specializes in raptor rehabilitation and rescue and can be reached at (808) 884-5000 for information. To report suspected illegal activity against wildlife, individuals are urged to call the DLNR enforcement hotline at (808) 643-3567 or use the DLNRTip app.