Long ago, Hawaii's lush islands were home to many native birds found nowhere else on Earth. But everything changed when people came to Hawaii. They hunted some of the birds to extinction. The animals they brought were even more dangerous. Some, like chickens, infected the native birds with diseases. Others, like cats and snakes, threatened the native birds who couldn't defend themselves against these new types of predators.

Today, Hawaii’s native bird population has fewer species, and many of the surviving species are endangered.