Conservation-reliant Hawaiian waterbirds remain endangered due to ongoing habitat loss and predation, despite their ability to utilize a variety of wetland habitats. While stewardship across these areas provides critical benefits, the behavioral effects from different stewards and management actions remain unclear. This study investigates relationships between wetland stewardship and four species of waterbirds in the Hawaiian Islands: the Aeʻo (Hawaiian Stilt, Himantopus mexicanus knudseni), ʻAlae ʻula (Hawaiian Gallinule, Gallinula galeata sandvicensis), ʻAlae keʻokeʻo (Hawaiian Coot, Fulica alai), and hybrid Koloa maoli (Hawaiian Duck, Anas wyvilliana). Alert-response and flight-initiation distances were measured for waterbirds when approached by stewards and non-stewards, and stewards were surveyed about their management practices and feelings, interactions, and interest in connection with waterbirds. Paired t-tests and ANOVAs revealed that alert and flight-initiation responses differed by species and by stewardship characteristics. Stewards with stronger feelings of connection to waterbirds and greater management frequencies tended to elicit shorter alert and flight-initiation distances. These findings help clarify how wetland management and human-bird relationships interact, potentially informing conservation policies and biological opinions that aim to balance habitat stewardship with minimizing disturbance.