Waikīkī neighbors are still waking up to an unwanted sunrise alarm: a vocal flock of feral roosters strutting around a Hawaiian Electric owned vacant lot off the Ala Wai, despite new fencing and a trapping cage meant to evict them. Residents say the birds simply hop between adjoining properties, so the hardware has not done much to quiet the pre-dawn crowing or the frustration.
According to Honolulu Civil Beat, Hawaiian Electric trimmed back overhanging branches that had been shading the parcel at 302 ʻŌhua Street, put up “Do Not Feed the Birds” signs, and ringed the lot with orange construction fencing and a large wire cage with a wood-panel door. HECO spokesperson Darren Pai told the outlet the utility hired a vendor to capture the birds and had the Department of Fish and Wildlife set the trap, but it was not clear whether any of the roosters had actually been caught.
City program expands to private properties
Complaint counts have climbed
Tracking by the Honolulu Department of Customer Services shows chicken-nuisance complaints have jumped from roughly 160 a year to about 321 a year since the city began keeping the tally in 2023, and Waikīkī now logs more complaints than any other Oʻahu ZIP code, Civil Beat reports. That spike has residents pressing both the utility and the city for quicker action, even as property lines and jurisdiction questions slow down any clear fix.
Why the birds keep winning
Feral chickens have no respect for survey stakes or fences, and they often move between private, city, and state parcels, which makes one-off trapping only partly effective unless neighbors and agencies coordinate their efforts. The city has set aside money and piloted removal programs to tackle the problem, but officials say capturing and relocating birds depends on cooperation from whoever owns the land where the flock roosts, according to Hawaiʻi Public Radio.
How to get help
Residents with questions or complaints about birds on city property can email the Department of Customer Services at [email protected] or file an online report through City and County of Honolulu guidance. Private property owners looking for trapping or cage rental can contact Sandwich Isle at (808) 456-7716, per Hawaii News Now, or submit a request through the company’s website…