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Welcome to James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge

Established in 1976, James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge lies at the northernmost tip of the Hawaiian island of O‘ahu, adjacent to the town of Kahuku. As part of the O‘ahu NWR Complex, the refuge consists of both natural and artificially maintained wetlands. Although altered by historical human activity, this refuge remains one of the few relatively intact wetland systems left on O‘ahu. Refuge wetlands are enhanced, managed, and protected to provide maximum production and survival of endangered Hawaiian waterbird populations - ae‘o (Hawaiian stilt), ‘alae ke‘oke‘o (Hawaiian coot), ‘alae ‘ula (Hawaiian moorhen), and koloa maoli (Hawaiian duck).

James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge - Photo credit USFWS

Two units make up the James Campbell NWR. The larger of the two, the Punamanō Unit (134 acres), contains a natural spring-fed marsh that typically provides deep water wetland habitat for the four endangered Hawaiian waterbirds. The Ki‘i Unit (126 acres) is an intensively managed network of artificial impoundments. Historically, the Ki‘i Unit functioned as the freshwater settling ponds for the Kahuku Sugar Mill. Today, the Ki‘i Unit provides diverse habitats with food, cover, nesting sites, and brood rearing areas for all four endangered waterbirds. Management efforts also provide essential habitat for wintering migratory birds coming from as far away as Alaska, New Zealand, and Asia.

Efforts are currently underway to expand this important wildlife refuge to approximately 1,100 acres, making it the largest managed wetland/coastal wildlife refuge in the State of Hawai‘i.

For more information:
David Ellis, Project Leader
O‘ahu National Wildlife Refuge Complex
66-590 Kamehameha Highway, Room 2C
Hale‘iwa, Hawai‘i 96712
(808) 637-6330
(808) 637-3578 Fax
E-mail: dave_ellis@fws.gov