Kauai Chickens

You’ll be seeing plenty of wild chickens (and other assorted birds) on Kauai. The Kauai Chickens are everywhere, in parking lots, yards, parks, golf courses, on the sides of roads, and especially around eating establishments.

The chickens originated with the original Polynesian settlers who brought them to the island as a food source. In 1992, Hurricane Iniki destroyed chicken farms and unleashed the farm chickens into the wild where they mixed with the Polynesian chickens. Today’s Kauai Chickens are a unique genetic mix of the old and new chickens, with many exhibiting the colorful features of the original “red junglefowl” Polynesian chickens.

The Kauai chickens have few if any natural predators on the island. Just leave the chickens alone and they’ll leave you alone.

An endearing part of the Kauai experience, there’s even a store dedicated to the Kauai Chickens, with shirts, hats and accessories.

Though some people may be dismayed by the round-the-clock cacophony, and the relentless assault on their fries, we feel the Kauai Chickens add a certain charm to this island paradise.