Many visitors to Kauai have a common observation….
“What’s with all the chickens?”
Early in the morning, late at night, and pretty much every other time of the day, you will likely hear a rooster crowing. You’ll find them in town, in the fields, at the beach, and in the forest. Pretty much anywhere you can go on Kauai, you will find chickens!
These birds are a breed unique to Kauai. Long ago when Polynesian settlers first came to Kauai they brought chicken along with them as a food source. They were kept mostly under control until white settlers arrived, bringing the more traditional European chickens with them. Over the years, some chickens would escape – particularly after a hurricane when the chicken coops were ripped to shreds. Eventually the Polynesian and European birds interbred, leaving Kauai with it’s own style of bird.
Other islands had mongoose introduced to “take care” of the chicken population. However, Kauai did not want a mongoose infestation either, and insisted on not having them around. Since there are no other natural predators on the island, the Kauai Chickens had a chance to thrive and multiply. The result is what you see (and hear) today.
You pretty much will see the chickens everywhere you go. There isn’t a spot on the island that won’t have a wild chicken or two roaming around the trees and going cuckoo at all hours. Do not let it ruin your day though – it may seem annoying at first, but eventually you do get used to it. You might just have to trust us on that one. But the chickens are here to stay, for now… and the beauty and adventure of Kauai is worth a few annoying cuckoo’s here and there. If that’s the biggest problem we have, then in perspective it’s really not such a bad problem in comparison to other parts of the world!
If you are a light sleeper, you may want to get some earplugs!
This guide is brought to you by Makana Charters, a local Hawaiian family owned tour boat based out of Waimea on Kauai’s West side. We offer daily trips to the spectacular Na Pali coast, a natural wonder not to be missed. We are providing this guide to give our guests the best possible experience while visiting our island paradise.
