The Extremely Popular Hawaiian Island Whose Chicken Population Outnumbers Its Residents

Certain destinations around the world are known to have more of one specific animal than they do humans in residence. There's Montana, which has twice as many cows as people, and New Zealand, where sheep greatly outnumber the population of humanity. On the Japanese island of Aoshima, there are more cats than people, and on the Hawaiian island of Kauai, the surprising animal that outnumbers people is ... chickens!

Yes, we're talking about thousands of chickens and roosters wandering freely on this gorgeous tropical paradise. The total number of feral chickens on Kauai is estimated to be 450,000, while the total population of humans is approximately 75,000. If you do the math, that's about six chickens per person.

When you're filling your island time with the best things to do in Kauai, you're probably not planning on seeing feral chickens. And yet, they're ubiquitous enough that they're almost unavoidable! So, where exactly did all of these wild chickens come from? Local lore says that two devastating hurricanes — Iwa in 1982 and Iniki in 1992 — destroyed the locals' chicken coops, freeing the domestic chickens into the wild. Scientists surmise that these chickens then reproduced with wild chickens (Red Junglefowl) that were originally introduced by Polynesian settlers, increasing their population and solidifying their place on the island. Whatever the true origin of the Kauai chickens, one thing's for sure: there are plenty of eggs available ... not to mention drumsticks.

All jokes aside, the feral Kauai chickens aren't often eaten, and their eggs aren't, either. According to a Reddit thread on r/Hawaii, the chickens are good pest control as they eat undesirable bugs (read: cockroaches and centipedes). The feral chickens also aren't exactly tasty and can be prone to parasites. One user, u/upfromher72, shares a favored local joke about eating the chickens, saying, "I have heard of a recipe for cooking [Kauai] chickens. Pluck the chicken and put both it and a rock in a pot of boiling water. When you can stick a fork through the rock you know your chicken is done."

According to u/SavageDickens87, there's another, more unfortunate reason the chickens aren't eaten. "We use them for fighting not eating." u/Important_Signature confirmed and expanded on this. "Much more commonly, people capture feral chickens for cockfighting rooster breeding programs...If you have a neighbor trapping or keeping feral chickens, that's almost certainly what is going on."

Residents seem to be fond of the chickens, for the most part (cockfighting aside). On the r/Kauai subreddit, u/MissSuzieSunshine said, "The chickens are as much members of Kauai society as the residents are." u/Careful_Document6371 agreed, stating, "I love our chickens, they help with pest control, and they're also highly intelligent birds. Love them or leave Hawaii because they are a part of us." They've even become an unofficial symbol of the island, with souvenir shops featuring them on postcards, t-shirts, and more.

So, when you visit the island, don't be surprised if your beach day is accompanied by a flock of locals or if a rooster starts crowing outside your window at an ungodly hour. On Kauai's famous coastal trail with unmatched views, wildlife, and cultural treasures, chances are that wildlife will include feral chickens. They're here to stay.