The ulūlu that have been relocated to Laysan Island and their future generations have received the additional name “niau” from the PMNM Native Hawaiian Cultural Working Group. In the Hawaiian language, the word “niau” means “moving smoothly, swiftly, silently, and peacefully; flowing or sailing thus.” It was added to ulūlu in recognition of the birds’ successful and smooth translocation from Nihoa to Laysan— a journey of over 650 miles e voyage was photographed and reported to the team’s cultural monitor, Walterbea Aldeguer, who was an integral part of the team’s work on Nihoa. For further information on the ulūlu niau and the ulūlu living on Nihoa, please see the PMNM Ulūlu Fact Sheet.
