Palila Forest Discovery Trail
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- Palila Forest Discovery Trail2
Take a journey through Mauna Kea’s high-elevation dry forest. High above tropical rain clouds, this forest has adapted to an extremely dry and cold climate normally found on continents. You will see plants and animals found nowhere else in the world as you explore this special place. This forest is one of the last large tracts of dry forest left in Hawai‘i. While there are serious threats to this forest, restoration efforts are helping to protect this special home of a critically endangered bird, the palila.
Palila Forest Discovery Trail
Dry forest
Managed by: Division of Forestry and Wildlife
Hours & Site Information: Visit Website
Important Info:
Hunters frequent this area; wear bright colored clothing and explore respectfully. This is an extremely dry area: do not park in tall grass; no smoking. This site is at 7,000-ft elevation; explore at a relaxed pace and drink plenty of water. 4-wheel drive vehicles are required to drive the 4-mile dirt Pu‘u Lā‘au Road (R-1) to the trail head.
Birds
| American Birding Association Common Name | Hawaiian Name | Scientific Name | |
|---|---|---|---|
| California quail | Callipepla californica | ||
| chukar | Alectoris chukar | ||
| gray francolin | Ortygornis pondicerianus | ||
| black francolin | Francolinus francolinus | ||
| Erckel’s francolin | Pternistis erckelii | ||
| kalij pheasant | Lophura leucomelanos | ||
| ring-necked pheasant | Phasianus colchicus | ||
| wild turkey | Meleagris gallopavo | ||
| Hawaiian hawk | ʻio | Buteo solitarius | |
| Pacific golden-plover | kōlea | Pluvialis fulva | |
| rock pigeon | Columba livia | ||
| spotted dove | Spilopelia chinensis | ||
| zebra dove | Geopelia striata | ||
| mourning dove | Zenaida macroura | ||
| barn owl | Tyto alba | ||
| Hawaiian short-eared owl | pueo | Asio flammeus sandwichensis | |
| Hawaii elepaio | ʻelepaio | Chasiempis sandwichensis | |
| Eurasian skylark | Alauda arvensis | ||
| Japanese bush-warbler | Horornis diphone | ||
| warbling white-eye | Zosterops japonicus | ||
| Chinese hwamei | Garrulax canorus | ||
| red-billed leiothrix | Leiothrix lutea | ||
| northern mockingbird | Mimus polyglottos | ||
| common myna | Acridotheres tristis | ||
| northern cardinal | Cardinalis cardinalis | ||
| palila | palila | Loxioides bailleui | |
| apapane | ʻapapane | Himatione sanguinea | |
| iiwi | ʻiʻiwi | Drepanis coccinea | |
| Hawaii amakihi | ʻamakihi | Chlorodrepanis virens | |
| house finch | Haemorhous mexicanus | ||
| yellow-fronted canary | Crithagra mozambica | ||
| house sparrow | Passer domesticus | ||
| African silverbill | Euodice cantans | ||
| scaly-breasted munia | Lonchura punctulata |