?Akihike?ehi?ale translates to ?the bird that steps on water.? It is an old name found in the writings of Hawaiian historian Kepelino and other Hawaiian language newspaper sources from the 1800s. After reviewing historical information and current photos and videos describing the birds? foraging behavior, physical features, flight, and sound, it was believed that the ?akihike?ehi?ale spoken of in the historical documents is the Tristram?s Storm-petrel, and this became recognized as the current Hawaiian name in 2020.

The Tristram's Storm-petrel is threatened by climate change and introduced predators. Most breeding colonies in the Hawaiian Islands are located on low-lying atolls that are at risk of inundation. To help mitigate threats from rising sea levels, Pacific Rim Conservation translocated ?akihike?ehi?ale chicks to establish a breeding population on O?ahu. From 2018-2022, we translocated 110 ?akihike?ehi?ale from K?nemiloha?i (Tern Island) in Papah?naumoku?kea Marine National Monument to O?ahu. We raised the chicks by hand until fledging at James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge in Kahuku. Translocated individuals began returning to the refuge in 2020 and have been breeding there since 2022.