Hawai'i is a unique archipelago with incredible geology, culture and biodiversity. More than 90% of our native plants and animals are found only here and nowhere else on Earth. These unique species are deeply connected with Hawaiian cultural practice and identity. Since human arrival in Hawai'i 71 of the original 115 bird species found here have become extinct: 48 prior to the arrival of Europeans and 23 since Captain James Cook's arrival in 1778.  The protection of the remaining native birds in Hawaiʻi, especially the increasingly rare honeycreepers is considered to be the highest bird conservation priority in the United States and in Hawai‘i.