Nearly one-third of all endangered bird species in the U.S. are found exclusively in Hawai'i.

Even so, a new study has found federal and state funding to conserve and recover Hawaiian bird species listed under the Endangered Species Act is much lower than for Mainland birds.

The study was done by David L. Leonard Jr. of the state Division of Forestry and Wildlife.

He says on average, endangered bird species on the Mainland received 15 times more funding than endangered Hawaiian birds.

Leonard says of the total spent toward recovery of listed bird species between 1996 and 2004, the 31 birds unique to Hawai'i received only 4.1 percent of the recovery funds available from all sources.

Leonard says a dramatic increase in funding is needed or more Hawaiian birds will likely go extinct.