U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Kealia Pond -

National Wildlife 

Refuge
About the Refuge 

Unique 

Environment

Hawaiian coot 

and chicks

© Daniel Clark

This blue goose, designed by 

J.N. “Ding” Darling, has become 

the symbol of the National 

Wildlife Refuge System.

Kealia Pond NWR 

provides a vital wetland 

home for the endangered 

Hawaiian stilt and 

Hawaiian coot, and for 

migrating waterfowl 

and shorebirds.

A System 

of Refuges

 ̄

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The 700-acre Keālia Pond National 

Wildlife Refuge was established in 

1992 to provide sanctuary for two 

endangered Hawaiian waterbirds, 

the Hawaiian coot (‘alae ke‘oke‘o) 

and the Hawaiian stilt (ae‘o). It is one 

of the few natural wetlands remaining 

in the Hawaiian Islands, and the 

largest lowland wetland in Maui.

Keālia Pond is a significant foraging 

and nesting area for Hawai‘i’s 

endangered wetland birds and host 

to hundreds of migratory shorebirds 

and waterfowl during the winter 

months. The refuge also provides 

coastal beach strand habitat for native 

plant species and for the threatened 

Hawaiian green sea turtle (honu) 

and endangered hawksbill sea turtle 

(honu‘ea).

Keālia Pond NWR is part of the 

National Wildlife Refuge System, 

the world’s premier system of public 

lands and waters set aside to conserve 

America’s fish, wildlife, and plants. 

Since President Theodore Roosevelt 

designated Florida’s Pelican Island 

as the first wildlife refuge in 1903, 

the System has grown to more 

than 150 million acres and over 550 

refuges. Wildlife refuges are home to 

more than 700 species of birds, 220 

species of mammals, 250 reptile and 

amphibian species, and more than 

200 species of fish. Keālia Pond NWR 

is one of 59 refuges that have been 

established with a primary purpose 

of conserving threatened or 

endangered species.
Wetland Oasis 

Lowland Wetland Seasonal 

Changes 

Kea ̄lia Pond NWR

© Airplane Journal

© Rick Long

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Hawaiian coot 

and chick on nest

© LHG Creative Photography

The Keālia Pond lowland wetlands 

are a sediment basin, shaped like a 

shallow bowl sitting at the bottom of 

a 56-square-mile watershed. 

There are striking seasonal variations 

in the water levels of the pond. At the 

height of the rainy season, the pond 

is three to four feet deep; the water 

is cooler and less salty and swells to 

cover 400 acres, more than half of the 

refuge lands. In the dry days of spring 

and summer, less stream water flows 

into the pond, and the water becomes 

more shallow, warmer, and saltier.

Throughout the year, the wetlands 

function as a sponge, absorbing 

and filtering excess 

nutrients, sediments, and 

pollutants from incoming 

water before it flows 

to the sea, resulting in 

healthy reef and shallow 

bay ecosystems. In the 

process, the pond stores 

nutrient-rich sediment, 

creating a rich habitat 

for invertebrates, the favorite food 

of resident and migratory birds.

Seasonal water level changes in 

Keālia Pond NWR fit the needs of 

the birds, making it a great place 

to observe Hawai‘i’s endangered 

wetland birds and many migrating 

shorebirds and waterfowl.

Hawaiian coots (‘alae ke‘oke‘o) 

build their nests in the 

wet season, between 

December and April. 

The high water makes it 

possible for them to build 

floating nests that provide 

protection from predators 

and allow their young to 

feed nearby on plants and 

invertebrates. 

Hawaiian stilts (ae‘o), on the other 

hand, build their nests in the 

mudflats in the dry season between 

April and July so that their young 

chicks can safely feed in water three 

inches or less in depth. The young eat 

worms, larvae, and water bugs.

Migratory birds flock to Keālia Pond 

NWR from as far away as Alaska, 

Canada, and Asia. Most arrive 

between August and December, 

and they often stay through March. 

Migrant shorebirds probe the 

mudflats and shallow waters for food, 

while migrant waterfowl dive for 

their food in the deeper waters 

of the wetland ponds. 

Kea ̄lia slough
USFWS

Mokulele Highway

North Kīhei Road

Kanuimanu

Ponds

Public Access 311

310

Keālia Coastal

Boardwalk

Public Access

Keālia Pond

National Wildlife Refuge

Refuge Boundary

Trails and Footpaths

Roads

Water

Complex HQ and Visitor Center

Visitor/Education Shelter

Restrooms

Parking

Wildlife Viewing

Handicapped Accessible

Mā‘alaea Bay

Keālia Pond

NO Public Access

Prohibited 

Activities 

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Wildlife Viewing Enjoy wildlife observation and 

photography from dirt paths along 

the Kanuimanu Ponds near the 

Visitor Center and from the Keālia 

Coastal Boardwalk on North Kīhei 

Road. Visitors can also walk from 

the Visitor Center to the paths at 

Kanuimanu Ponds. Ask Visitor 

Center staff for a bird list. 

Fishing, hunting, off-road vehicles, 

and camping are not allowed on the 

refuge. Federal and state laws 

protect endangered stilts, coots, 

ducks, green sea turtles, and 

hawksbill sea turtles. Please keep 

your distance.
Long-Distance 

Visitors

Native Waterbirds 

Kealia Pond Wildlife -

Sanderling

Northern shovelers

© Peter Massas

© Norman Kaleomokuokanalu Chock © Mark Faviell

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Pacific 

golden plover

Hawaiian duck

Hawaiian coot

Hawaiian stilts

Black-crowned night heron

© Shihmei Barger © Bruce Fulton Brenda Zaun/USFWS

© Norman Kaleomokuokanalu Chock

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Migratory waterfowl and shorebirds 

visit the refuge from autumn through 

spring. They breed in Alaska, Canada, 

and Siberia and travel over 2,000 

miles across the ocean 

to winter in Maui and 

throughout the Hawaiian 

Islands. Some stop in 

Hawai‘i to feed and rest, 

then continue on to the 

south Pacific. 

The sanderling (hunakai, 

or “sea foam”) is one of 

the smallest of the visiting 

shorebirds. The Pacific 

golden plover (kōlea, or 

“boaster”) travels non-stop 

from Alaska, navigating by 

the stars to return to the 

same territory each year. 

In spring, this normally 

solitary bird joins 

other plovers to return 

to Alaska. The ruddy 

turnstone (‘akekeke, or 

“talkative”) turns over 

stones and other marine 

debris to find its food, and 

the wandering tattler (‘ulili, a name 

that sounds like its call) is a sentinel, 

warning other birds when predators 

are near. You may also see migratory 

waterfowl like the Northern shoveler 

and the Northern pintail.

If you would like to track refuge birds, 

please ask the Visitor Center staff for 

our refuge bird list. 

Two endangered endemic waterbirds, 

the Hawaiian coot (‘alae ke‘oke‘o, 

meaning “white forehead”) and the 

Hawaiian stilt (ae‘o, meaning “one 

standing tall”) live year 

round in the Keālia Pond 

wetlands. They arrived in 

Hawai‘i long ago, and have 

adapted to the unique 

wetland systems of the 

island chain. 

These two birds share 

the same habitat, but 

because they nest at 

different times and in 

different parts of the 

wetland environment, 

they can forage and nest 

without competing with 

each other. 

The native black-crowned 

night heron (‘auku‘u) and 

two endemic Hawaiian 

birds—the endangered 

Hawaiian duck (koloa 

maoli) and the Hawaiian 

short-eared owl (pueo)—

also live in and around 

Keālia Pond NWR, 

sharing the riches of the 

refuge habitats.
Land Use

Other Natives Two of the several sea turtles that 

visit Maui waters may be seen on 

the refuge. Hawksbill sea turtles 

(honu‘ea) are federally listed as 

endangered under the Endangered 

Species Act. 

They feed on 

sponges in the 

offshore reefs 

and nest in the 

coastal dune 

habitat of the 

refuge from June 

to September. 

During this time, 

the female crawls 

onto the beach above the high-tide 

line, digs a pit, and deposits her eggs. 

After two months, the eggs hatch, 

and the hatchlings climb out of the 

sand and make their way to the 

ocean—almost always under cover 

of darkness.

Hawaiian green sea turtles (honu) 

live in the ocean near the Hawaiian 

islands, and are federally listed as 

threatened under the Endangered 

Species Act. Most of them breed 

in French Frigate Shoals. You 

may see them resting or sunning 

themselves in the coastal dunes 

area of the refuge, and on beaches 

throughout the Hawaiian Islands. 

Little is known about the early native 

Hawaiian uses of Keālia Pond. In 

the dry season, the pond shrinks to 

half its winter size, leaving a crust of 

crystalline salt at its margins. The 

name Keālia means “salt encrusted,” 

and archaeologists tell us that the 

Hawaiian people gathered salt in this 

region for centuries. 

The natural habitats in and around 

the wetlands slowly changed as 

Hawaiians grew taro and used 

trees to build canoes and as EuroAmericans used the land for crops 

and other commercial enterprises. 

In the 1870s, Dwight Baldwin and 

William Alexander came to Maui to 

grow sugarcane. At its height, their 

company planted more than 100,000 

acres, diverting water from the West 

Maui Mountains and Haleakalā that 

normally helped fill the wetlands.

Early in the 20th century, Waihe‘e 

Dairy used the Keālia Pond area as 

grazing land for their cattle. 

Kea ̄lia Pond Wildlife continued 

Green sea turtle

© Cheryl King

Hawksbill turtle 

hatchlings

Sugarcane field

Courtesy of University 

of Chicago Library 

Special Collections

© Cheryl King

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Exotic Animals

Habitat Management Land Use continued

The first Maui airport was 

constructed near the refuge at 

Mā‘alaea Flats in 1929. During World 

War II, soldiers of the 2nd and 4th 

Marine Divisions used the Keālia 

and Kīhei area as a training site, 

and remnants of a firing range and 

airstrip are just outside 

the refuge boundary. 

The airport itself was 

eventually moved, first 

to Pu‘unēnē, a few miles 

north of the refuge, then 

to Kahului.

In the 1970s, commercial 

aquaculture ponds were 

built near the shore of 

Keālia Pond to raise 

catfish, tilapia, and apple 

snails. The man-made 

ponds were steep-sided 

and deep, ill-suited to meet 

the food and nesting needs 

of wetland birds. Now 

called Kanuimanu Ponds, 

they have been restored 

for wetland bird habitat. 

In the 1960s, developers 

began building in the 

area surrounding the refuge, and 

today nearby Kīhei is one of Hawai‘i’s 

busiest beach towns. Development 

presents ongoing challenges to the 

wetland habitat and the wildlife that 

depend on it.

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Over the years, non-native animals 

have been brought to Hawai‘i for 

what seemed like good business 

reasons—but these animals have had 

negative effects on native wildlife. 

The first cats and mongooses were 

both imported in the 19th century 

to eat the rats infesting sugarcane 

crops. Instead of controlling rats, 

mongooses and cats eat groundnesting birds and their eggs and 

young, as do the rats they came 

to eradicate.

Cattle egrets were brought to 

Hawai‘i from Florida in 1959 to help 

control insects on cattle ranches. The 

cows themselves were introduced; 

they ate native 

plants, and 

their droppings 

brought invasive 

plants into 

the wetlands. 

Cattle egrets eat 

nestlings and 

compete with 

native birds for 

food and nest 

sites. 

12 13 © J.N. Stuart © J.N. Stuart

Mongoose

Cattle egret

Kea ̄lia Pond and 

Kı ̄hei, WWII

Courtesy of Maui Historical Society

Tilapia

© Wendy Cutler

Kı ̄hei. © Djof
Habitat Management continued

Exotic Plants

Things to Do

USFWS © Forest & Kim Starr © Forest and Kim Starr

© Rick Long

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Volunteers 

removing 

California 

bulrush

Indian marsh 

fleabane

Pickleweed

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Begin your adventure at the Visitor 

Center, where you can learn more 

about the daily lives of Hawai‘i’s 

endangered wetland birds. As you 

sign in, you’ll learn where things 

are located on the refuge and about 

upcoming activities, current bird 

counts, and what’s new. We offer 

binoculars and bird identification 

and bingo cards to enhance your 

exploration of the wetlands. 

Two walks offer access to the wetland 

and close-up views of wetland birds. 

From the Visitor Center, you can 

walk the path to the Kanuimanu 

Ponds’ dirt levees, which are flat and 

accommodate wheelchairs. 

The 2,200-foot Keālia Coastal 

Boardwalk on North Kīhei Road 

offers access to seasonal wetlands 

as they connect to the coastal dunes. 

Be sure to read the self-guided 

interpretive panels, and bring your 

camera and binoculars! 

Kea ̄lia Coastal 

Boardwalk

Kealia Pond NWR 

Visitor Center

© Sonny Gamponia

- 

A lot of work goes into keeping the 

refuge habitat healthy for birds. 

Refuge staff capture non-native 

predators, eliminate invasive plants, 

and monitor water levels carefully to 

mimic the natural cycle of the wetland 

and meet the needs of the waterbirds. 

Planned flooding is used to remove 

exotic plants from bird habitat and to 

maintain seasonal variability of the 

wetlands during a dry winter.

Many refuge plants are aggressive 

introduced species: Indian marsh 

fleabane, California bulrush, 

pickleweed, and others. 

Refuge staff and 

volunteers eliminate 

exotics and replant natives 

like saltgrass (‘aki‘aki) and 

sea purslane (ākulikuli).

Native plants are vital 

to our endangered birds. 

Coots build their nests 

with native kaluhā sedge, 

and stilts nest on or near 

ākulikuli. Folks from 

our community, other 

islands, the mainland, 

and throughout the world 

volunteer to help with 

native restoration projects 

year round, and we’re 

making good progress. 

Come and join us!
Hawaiian stilt

© James Brennan

The refuge is open M-F from 7:30 a.m. 

to 4:00 p.m. It is closed on weekends 

and federal holidays.

The Visitor Center is open M-F from 

8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. It is closed on 

weekends and federal holidays.

The boardwalk is open seven days a 

week and on federal holidays from 

6:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Admission is free. 

For more information, contact:

Refuge Manager

Kea ̄lia Pond National Wildlife Refuge

Maui National Wildlife Refuge Complex

Milepost 6 Mokulele Highway (Highway 311)

P.O. Box 1042

Kı ̄hei, Hawai`i 96753

808/875 1582

http://www.fws.gov/refuge/kealia_pond/

For the hearing impaired:

Hawai`i Relay Service

TTY 1 877/447 5990

Voice 1 808/643 8255

In-state callers use the 4 digit TTY 1-711

Federal Relay Service

TTY and Voice 1 800/877 8339

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

http://www.fws.gov

April 2015