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red-masked parakeet

Posted on Aug 8, 2017 in

The red-masked parakeet is a released cage bird first observed on the Big Island in 1988. These nomadic loud social birds forage along the Kona coast but roost and breed in pit craters at high elevations on Hualālai mountain. They now number in the hundreds and can be a pest to coffee farmers.

barn owl

Posted on Aug 8, 2017 in

The barn owl is the only introduced species of owl in Hawaiʻi. They are sometimes mistakenly identified as the native pueo by locals and are common on all islands. Unlike the pueo, barn owls only hunt at night. Adults are 14-20 inches long with a white, heart shaped face, dark eyes and a pale bill. ...
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mourning dove

Posted on Aug 8, 2017 in

The mourning dove is less common than the other doves you see in Hawaiʻi. It was brought to Hawaiʻi from North America around the mid-1960s where it was released at Puʻu Waʻawaʻa. It was named after the mournful sound of its call. They are only about one foot long and light grey-brown in color with ...
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zebra dove

Posted on Aug 8, 2017 in

Another cosmopolitan species, the Zebra Dove was introduced in 1922 and by the 1930’s were common on all the main islands but the Big Island which they eventually colonized as well. They are quite tame and can be seen courting and feeding around any outdoor restaurant or park.

spotted dove

Posted on Aug 8, 2017 in

The spotted dove was introduced from Asia in the 1800s and has locally been used as a game bird for generations. They are common in urban and rural areas. Adults are 12 inches long, gray-brown plumage. There is a black band with white spots around the sides and back of the neck. Breast is rosy. ...
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rock pigeon

Posted on Aug 8, 2017 in

A common city pigeon, rock pigeons originate from Europe and northern Africa. An adept cosmopolitan coloniser, this species may have been introduced to Hawaiʻi as early as 1788. Usually seen in urban areas, but also along rocky cliffs. They have a shiny green neck and grey body with black wing stripes. In urban areas, they ...
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chestnut-bellied sandgrouse

Posted on Aug 8, 2017 in

The Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse is an amazingly powerful flyer adapted to the desert. They can fly upwind through the strongest waimea winds and make diurnal migrations mauka to makai on the kona side to collect water. They have the unique adaptation of absorbing water in their breast feathers that they can then transport back to their ...
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cattle egret

Posted on Aug 8, 2017 in

The cattle egret is extremely widespread since its introduction to Hawaiʻi from Florida in 1959 to control insect pests. Easy to spot, these 20-inch long white birds are often seen in large groups, usually near ponds. Look for their perfect “V” formation as they fly in flocks. They pose a threat to native water birds ...
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wild turkey

Posted on Aug 8, 2017 in

First introduced in 1815 from North America as a gamebird, the wild turkey is an unexpected site along Hawaiʻi’s roadsides. At almost 4 feet long, they’re a hard-to-miss bird, though they can be well camouflaged and still in tall grass when nesting. Like a scrawnier version of the Thanksgiving Day turkey, they have a colorful ...
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Indian peafowl

Posted on Aug 8, 2017 in

The common peafowl is found wild on Hualālai, South Kohala, and in the district of Kaʻū. There are also captive populations in some places. Males (“Peacocks”) are 40 inches long, but 100 inches long if you count their impressive long, flowing tails. Males have brilliant iridescent green and blue plumage. Females are smaller at 30 ...
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ring-necked pheasant

Posted on Aug 8, 2017 in

The ring-necked pheasant is native to Asia and has been introduced throughout the world as a gamebird, and here in Hawaiʻi in the 1860s. At about 30 inches in length, the males are a bright gold with chest-nut brown feathers with species of iridescent green and purple. Their head is a dark metallic green with ...
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kalij pheasant

Posted on Aug 8, 2017 in

The kalij pheasant was first brought to Hawaiʻi in 1962 from Southern Asia as a gamebird. At about 33 inches long, the males are black with a gray belly, while the females are mottled brown. They have a distinct red skin patch around their eyes and a crest of feathers atop their heads. They are ...
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red junglefowl (domestic)

Posted on Aug 8, 2017 in

The first Polynesian settlers brought moa, or red junglefowl, to Hawaiʻi centuries ago. This tropical, forest-dwelling chicken is colorful rusty red with long curved black tail feathers and a red comb atop their head. The males can be 30 inches long compared to the drab colored females at 17 inches long. Hawaiians valued them as ...
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Erckel’s francolin

Posted on Aug 8, 2017 in

Native to Ethiopia and Sudan, Africa, the Erckel’s francolin was introduced to Hawaiʻi in 1957 as a gamebird. About 16 inches long, they are brown with white streaky spots and distinct chestnut colored feathers on the top of their head with a white throat. Often in upland dry grasslands, they scare easily and hide from ...
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black francolin

Posted on Aug 8, 2017 in

Native to India, the black francolin was introduced to Hawaiʻi in 1959 as a gamebird. A little over a foot long, the male stands out with black feathers with white spots and white cheeks with a chestnut collar, while the female is brown with a rusty neck. Often in dry grasslands, they scare easily and ...
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