Why are there free-roaming chickens on Maui? They are absolutely everywhere and your first sighting of one will almost certainly be at Maui’s Kahului Airport, probably as you’re grabbing your luggage or rental car. It’s a bizarre sight for tourists who are accustomed to seeing chickens on farms or running freely in third-world countries. The airport will not be your last chicken sighting — there will be many, many more as you make your way around Maui.
As local lore goes, the hurricanes of 1982 (Iwa) and 1992 (Iniki) destroyed domestic chicken coops, releasing the chickens into the jungles. These domesticated birds then mated with the wild red junglefowl (brought to the islands by the Polynesian), resulting in the feral chickens we see today. These chickens have amazing food radar and once they become aware of someone feeding one of their brethren, they all come clucking and flapping your way in hilarious fashion. So don’t feed the chickens while you’re at a restaurant, because you will soon have more of these feathered creatures joining you.
Chicken … it’s what’s for dinner! The locals are constantly asked by tourists, “Are these wild chickens worth eating?” All true “wild” birds on Hawaii are protected by state law. However, chickens found roaming around developed areas, or suburban neighborhoods are referred to as “free-flying domestic chickens.” These are fowl of domestic stock roaming free and are not “protected.” Locals are free to take them (if they come onto your property) and put them in the dinner Crock-Pot. I’ve heard they’d be a bit more gamey than your store-bought chicken, but much more flavorful.
