The Hawaii Island Festival of Birds, scheduled to be held Oct. 24 to 28, has been canceled due to trail and site access issues, the organizers announced Aug. 21.
"It was a difficult decision made after careful deliberation following numerous consultations with authorities and resource managers," festival committee chair Cindy Pacheco said in a statement.
There is a "high probability" that current road and forest closures will still be active during the festival, the statement said, which would limit access to areas where Hawaii's native endemic forest birds are found.
"It was important to make this decision now before the festival date gets too close so those who have registered or planned to register can plan accordingly," Pacheco said.
The Sheraton Kona Resort and Spa is still honoring special festival room rates over the event dates, and three alternative birding tours have been set up for booking during the festival dates. The tours include a native forest bird-watching walk, a full-day trip including hikes on the Hawaii Island Birding Trail and a visit to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, and a boat excursion to see birds of the open ocean.