HAWAI’I COUNTY, Hawaiʻi (Island News) — A rare visitor is drawing attention along the southern coast of Hawaiʻi Island.
A non-native brown pelican, nicknamed “Kiko,” was spotted Jan. 22 at Punaluʻu Beach, marking what appears to be the first modern record of a brown pelican arriving in Hawaiʻi. Brown pelicans are native to North America and range as far south as the northern coast of South America, but they are not known to inhabit Hawaiʻi.
According to Traven Apiki, who tracks the bird and runs the Instagram account @KikoThePelican, the sighting shatters previous distance records for the species.
A non-native brown pelican, named Kiko, has been spotted along the southern shore of Hawaii Island, marking a rare occurrence for the region.
“The furthest sighting we had before this was about 600 miles off the continental east coast in Bermuda,” Apiki said. “This one multiplied that distance by four.”
Kiko is now estimated to be roughly 2,300 miles from the nearest known pelican habitat.
How the bird made the journey remains a mystery, but Apiki believes a nonstop flight is unlikely.
“The average flight path is around 200 miles,” Apiki said. “What seems more likely is that it pitched a ride on a ship, stayed with it during the voyage, then abandoned ship once it reached the coastline.”
Since arriving, Kiko has been reported spending time along the south shore, resting on beaches and fishing in tide pools.
The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) told Island News the pelican was likely blown off course and managed to survive by feeding in local waters. DLNR said there is no indication the bird poses a threat to Hawaiʻi’s ecosystem and there are no plans to return it to the mainland.
For now, Kiko is free to remain in Hawaiʻi. Apiki encourages the public to respect the bird’s space and submit sightings through the Instagram account documenting its unexpected stay in the islands.
