Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge offers the best bird watching on Kauai, and is home to the Laysan albatross, nene, red footed booby and tropicbirds.

Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge looks out over the northern waters of Kauai and is one of the best whale and bird watching locations on the island. The 203 acre refuge is home to several species of sea birds and a small colony of nene, the Hawaiian goose. Looking down into the protected waters surrounding Kilauea Point it’s possible to see dolphins, sea turtles, manta rays and, in the winter, humpback whales.

Kilauea Bird Watching

Red footed boobies, or gannets, breed at Kilauea Point Wildlife Refuge in the spring and through the summer. Red footed booby nests dot the eastern cliffs of the refuge and the booby is one of the most commonly seen birds at the Point.

On the hills to the west of Kilauea Point Laysan albatross nest. Permanent binoculars set up at the Point make albatross viewing easy. Eggs are laid in mid-November and fledging occurs in June and July.

Clumsy on land, the Laysan albatross is a graceful flier, and visitors to Kilauea Point often see them at close range as they glide over the Point’s cliffs.

Tropicbirds and Kilauea Point

Tropicbirds nest year round at Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge. Small white birds with two long, streaming tail feathers, tropicbirds are the only bird capable of flying backwards, which they do during courtship.

Wedge-tailed Shearwaters

Dozens of small burrows dot Kilauea Point, half-hidden under native Hawaiian plants. It looks like the Wildlife Refuge has a gopher problem, but the holes are actually dug by birds.

The burrows are the nesting places of wedge-tailed shearwaters. During breeding season visitors can often see shearwaters in the burrows, including the single downy chick each set of parents raises.

Shearwater pairs return to the same burrow year after year. Their call is an otherworldly groaning, which prompted Native Hawaiians to name them ‘ua’u kani, meaning “moaning petrel.”

Great Thieving Frigate Birds

The last seabird to frequent Kilauea point doesn’t breed there. The great frigate bird nests on the atolls of the northwest Hawaiian island chain. Frigates come to Kilauea Point to feed, but they don’t come by their food honestly. Great frigate birds target birds who have caught fish, harassing and bullying them until they drop their catch. As soon as the catch drops, the frigate bird swoops down and collects it. It’s easy to see why the frigate bird’s Hawaiian name is ‘iwa, or thief.

‘Iwa are big birds. To get a sense of size, a mural behind the Refuge’s gift shop displays silhouettes of different seabird wingspans. With a wingspan of 7.5 feet the great frigate bird is by far the largest bird seen at Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge.

The Kilauea Lighthouse

Standing tall at the north end of Kilauea Point is the Kilauea lighthouse. Built in 1913 the lighthouse boasts the world’s largest clamshell lens. The Kilauea lighthouse operated until 1976, when it was retired in favor of a modern beacon.

Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge Entrance Fees

As of 2008 entry fees for the Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge were $5.00 for every person over the age of sixteen. The Refuge is from 10.00 am to 4.00pm seven days a week, and is only closed on federal holidays. Entrance fees go towards the Refuge’s operating costs.

Getting to Kilauea Point

From Kuhio Highway turn makai (towards the ocean) at Kolo Road, by the gas station. Turn left onto Kilauea Road and drive to the end of the road.

When you turn into the Refuge please slow to the posted speed limit and drive with care: it’s for the safety of the endangered nene, which like to walk along and across the road.