No Evidence that Camera Monitoring Affects Nest Survival of Hawaiian Gallinule (Gallinula cholorpus sandvichensis)

Monitoring nests with cameras has become increasingly popular to accurately identify the cause of nest loss; however, the use of cameras may influence nest fate and parameter estimates, which is of particular concern for waterbirds with small population sizes. In 2020–2021, 159 nests of the federally endangered Hawaiian Common Gallinule (‘Alae ‘ula; Gallinula chloropus sandvicensis) were monitored to compare nest success between nests monitored using regular human visits to check nests versus using a combination of human visits and cameras to monitor nests. There was no added effect of camera monitoring on nest survival across years and habitat type (95% confidence interval DSR 0.972–0.986 camera, 0.965–0.989 no camera). Adult gallinule nesting in managed wetlands took longer to return to nests after camera installation than birds nesting in taro (Colocasia esculenta) fields. We hypothesize that adult gallinules nesting in taro fields are more accustomed to the higher human activity associated with taro farming compared to those nesting in the larger wetland units that experience less human activity. For gallinule, nest monitoring with cameras had no negative impact on nest success and provides greater clarity about nest fate and the cause of nest loss.