Studies suggest that only two or three of the birds remain. Some conservationists argue that because captive breeding worked for California condors, the technique could also rescue this rarest of honeycreepers. But Lieberman says that s not a valid comparison. You couldn t kill a condor with a shovel well, maybe with a good hit, but even then probably not. A captured songbird may thrash itself to death before it reaches the center or never acclimate to captivity.
Scientists know the po ouli eats snails, but little else.
We don t know their nutritional requirements, says Lieberman. I know nothing about releasing the po ouli. Because if I add up all the risks and compare that to the risks in the wild with proper habitat management, our risks are higher. So, kill the rats, kill the mosquitoes, get your forest clean, and the birds will be there. Outside the center, the day is ending.