Keālia Pond National Wildlife Refuge is nestled between Kīhei and Ma‘alaea towns and features a coastal salt marsh habitat. Start your trip at the Visitors Center to learn all about the area and its feathery inhabitants. Nearby, the Kanuimanu Ponds offer an up-close view of waterbirds. A must-see is the Coastal Boardwalk that offers a ...
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A side trip on the road to Hana is always an adventure! The Wai‘ānapanapa State Park is a perfect rest stop steeped in Hawaiian culture. The off-shore rocks and cliffs provide excellent sightings of shore and seabirds, viewable from ancient shoreline trails.
Kahakapao Recreation Area is a mountain biker’s paradise. An extensive network of hiking trails, biking trails, and biking skills amenities are favorites of the Upcountry community. A mix of native koa/‘ōhi‘a and exotic trees provides a unique birding experience.
The Polipoli Springs State Recreation Area hosts a diversity of outdoor activites including hiking, camping, and hunting. The large Recreation area encludes several hiking trails that take you through various native and exotic forest habitats. As such, a wide variety of birds can be seen in this area.
Named after Hawai‘i’s first Superintendent of Forester, Ralph Hosmer, this grove of eucalyptus (planted by Ralph in 1909) and the adjacent nature trail though sub-alpine shrubland provides an excellent venue to sign Hawai‘i’s colorful native forest birds.
Some of the best bird watching on the island can be found at ʻAimakapā Fishpond. This wetland area provides habitat for an amazing variety of birdlife, including some species that are not found anywhere else in the world. Other species can be found spending the winter months in the fishpond, having traveled to Hawaiʻi from ...
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The Puʻu Waʻawaʻa Forest Reserve is home to a diverse dry ʻōhiʻa forest mixed with many endangered and rare plants. The ʻŌhiʻa Trail takes you through some of these forested areas where a wide variety of native and exotic birds have found a home. Be sure to check in at the Hiker Check-in Station for ...
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A nice family trail, the Puʻu Huluhulu trail network features several short hikes atop a forested hill, surrounded by black lava from an 1843 flow. A mix of koa forest and dry mixed forest, this puʻu (hill) is a good place to view native forest birds seeking refuge from an otherwise stark lava landscape.
Kaulana Manu (formerly Kīpuka 21) is a family friendly interpretive trail in a pristine kīpuka (older, forested pockets spared from lava flows). A favorite of birders, this is a good spot to catch a glimpse of many of Hawaiʻi Island’s native forest birds. If you’re lucky, you may see endangered Hawaiian birds like ʻakiapōlāʻau, ʻakepa, ...
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While it is on private property, Loko Waka fishpond is a great spot to see native waterfowl, particularly ‘alae ke‘oke‘o. Loko Waka is also a major roosting site for cattle egrets in the Hilo area. At 60 acres in size, Loko Waka is the largest of the fish ponds in Keaukaha.