Hawaiian petrel Hawaiian petrel The Hawaiian petrel or uau ("Pterodroma sandwichensis") is a large, dark grey-brown and white petrel that is endemic to Hawaii. The Hawaiian petrel was formerly found on all the main Hawaiian Islands except Niihau, but today it is mostly restricted to Haleakalā crater on Maui; smaller populations exist on Mauna Loa on the island of Hawaii, Waimea Canyon on the island of Kauai, Lānaihale on Lānai, and possibly Molokai. It is also reportedly seen on the Galapagos Islands. Their diet consists of 50–75% squid, and smaller percentages of fish and crustaceans. The birds nest in burrows or rock
Hawaiian Islands the Earth's mantle. The islands are about from the nearest continent. Captain James Cook visited the islands on January 18, 1778 and named them the "Sandwich Islands" in honor of John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, who was one of his sponsors as the First Lord of the Admiralty. This name was in use until the 1840s, when the local name "Hawaii" gradually began to take precedence. The Hawaiian Islands have a total land area of . Except for Midway, which is an unincorporated territory of the United States, these islands and islets are administered as Hawaii—the 50th state of