Wild Chickens In Kauai
Kauai's picturesque Poipu Beach Park is one of the places overrun by Hawaii feral chickens. Hurricanes released these birds into the wild, with no natural predators. These colorful feathered invaders have become a charming sight to some and a significant nuisance to others, prompting this newly enacted law.
A prime example would be the wild cattle of the Big Island, but on Kauai, a different kind of livestock has taken hold: the chicken. Kauai is home to thousands of wild chickens, a particular variety that's vibrant in plumage but of mixed value to the ecosystem of the island. On the island of Kauai, wherever humans go, chickens go too.
Wild chickens of Kauai | Pet chickens, Wild chicken, Beautiful images ...
Hens and chicks kick around in grocery-store parking lots and parks. They're visitors to cookouts and picnics. On popular hikes, many.
The Hawaiian Island of Kauai is home to thousands of feral chickens, who roam the streets freely and cause disturbances. Kauai is home to thousands of feral chickens. (Source: Team Research, The Atlantic) Hurricanes in 1982 and 1992 resulted in the release of many domestic chickens into the wild on Kauai.
The wild chickens on Kauai, Hawaii are quite stunning birds. Aloha! : pics
(Source: Team Research, Vacations Hawaii Life) The wild chicken population on Kauai has no natural predators except for cats and dogs. (Source: Team Research, Hawaii Life) The feral chickens on Kauai are a. The total number of feral chickens on Kauai is estimated to be 450,000, while the total population of humans is approximately 75,000.
If you do the math, that's about six chickens per person. When you're filling your island time with the best things to do in Kauai, you're probably not planning on seeing feral chickens. If you've never been to Kauai, you may have heard rumors that there are a lot of wild chickens on the island.
Blupela - View Planet Spotlight : The wild chickens of Kauai
News to you? The rumors are true. The island is swarming with chickens. You'll see them as you're leaving the airport.
Hens with chicks in tow. And oh so many roosters. The roosters crow all day long.
And often all night long, or at least long before dawn. Where did they come. Wild chickens have been around a long time on the island, but their numbers increased dramatically after Hurricane Iniki (September 11, 1992) when many species of domestic and cock fighting breeds purportedly escaped as their coops were destroyed.
Perhaps the main reason the chickens are more prevalent on Kauai is the absence of predators like the mongoose which is well established on other. Although these birds may be commonplace for the residents of Kauai, I still consider visiting the feral chickens of Hawaii a bucket list item for any serious chicken lover. It's definitely on my list.
Originally published in the December 2019/January 2020 issue of Backyard Poultry and regularly vetted for accuracy.
