Scientists just debunked a 50-year myth about Hawaii’s birds

A study from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa debunks a 50-year myth that Indigenous Hawaiians hunted native waterbirds to extinction. Researchers propose climate change, invasive species, and land use changes are more likely responsible for the birds' decline, with factors predating Polynesian arrival or occurring after traditional stewardship systems were disrupted.