The state plans to hunt feral goats, sheep and other invasive species from helicopters next month to protect an endangered bird’s habitat.

The state Department of Land and Natural Resources will close the Mauna Kea Forest Reserve and Kaohe Game Management Area on Jan. 26-27 while shooters fire at the animals from the air.
The state says it must close the Big Island areas to limit the danger to people during the aerial hunt.
It plans to make the animal carcasses available to the public on the hunt days.
The grazing animals destroy mamane trees eaten by the palila, a yellow-crowned songbird that lives on the upper slopes of Mauna Kea volcano.
The bird’s population has shrunk by more than 60 percent in six years to just 2,200 last year.