The O‘ahu ‘amakihi is a small, generalist Hawaiian honeycreeper endemic to the island of O‘ahu. Until 1995, the O‘ahu, Hawai‘i, and Kaua‘i ‘amakihi, were considered a single species: the common ‘amakihi. Plumage of all species is similar; males are yellow-green to olive. Females are similar, but duller, and unlike the other species, female O‘ahu ‘amakihi ...
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The O‘ahu ‘elepaio is a small, adaptable monarch flycatcher endemic to the island of O‘ahu. Males and females are dark brown above and white below with variable light brown streaks on breast and conspicuous white wing bars, tail feather tips, and throat. Both sexes have variable amounts of blacking markings, but males tend to have ...
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The ‘alae ‘ula or Hawaiian moorhen is a small, striking waterbird and is one of 12 recognized subspecies. ‘Alae ‘ula is endemic to Hawai‘i and is very similar to its North American relative in appearance; adults are black above and dark slate blue below, with a white stripe on their flanks and a prominent red ...
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The kiwikiu is only found on Maui at elevations of about 1,000 to 3,000 feet in mesic and wet forest within a range of only19 square miles. Sexes are alike with olive green and yellow bodies. Their insectivorous diet is aided by their large hooked upper bill which enables them to peel bark off trees ...
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The endangered Maui ʻalauahio is a small endemic forest bird only found on Maui. Males are light yellow while females are light olive with tints of yellow. Foraging often happens in the understory in pairs or in groups, sometimes with other species.
The critically endangered ʻākohekohe is easily recognized by its destinct tuft of white feathers just above the beak. Body plumage is overall dark with light orange around the eyes, and darker orange on the neck. Like other Hawaiian forest birds, ʻākohekohe feeds primarily on nectar from the ʻōhiʻa tree and can be seen flitting along ...
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Males of the Hawaiʻi ʻākepa are unmistakable with their entire body colored blaze orange. Females are a drab yellow/green. This small endemic bird also has a slightly crossed bill that it uses to pry open ʻōhiʻa leaf buds for insect to eat. Restricted to higher wet forests of Hawaiʻi Island, this is the only native ...
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The ʻalawī is an endangered insect eater endemic to high-elevation forests on Hawaiʻi Island. It may look similar to ʻamakihi, with its greenish-yellowish-grey body and 5-inch length, but has a straighter and more pointed bill to probe through bark, a behavior that led to its English name of Hawaiʻi creeper. ʻAlawī also have a more ...
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The most common native bird, the ʻamakihi is an adaptable bird in a changing landscape. A small greenish-yellowish-grayish bird at 4 ½ inches, they flit about the trees sipping nectar and catching insects in almost every type of Hawaiian forest. While avian malaria is decimating other native bird species, the amakihi appears to be adapting, ...
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A rare treat to spot, the ʻakiapōlāʻau is the swiss-army knife of the Hawaiian forest. Sometimes referred to as Hawaiʻi’s version of the woodpecker, these 5-inch yellow and olive birds have a unusual bills that allows them to raise their upper bill and use the stout lower bill to peck into the wood of trees. ...
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The spectacular ʻiʻiwi is an icon of the Hawaiian forest. With it’s distinctive long curved salmon bill, red feathers, and black wings, they are only 5 ½-inches long. Spot them flitting atop the trees, sipping nectar from the lehua flowers. Their bill has also specially evolved to fit into tubular flowers that in-turn have evolved ...
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ʻApapane are perhaps the most abundant native bird on Hawaiʻi island and are often observed in upland native forest. ʻApapane forage for insects, bugs, and nectar in the tree tops, especially in ʻōhiʻa trees. They are famous for their variable repertoire of songs. Adult birds are over 5 inches long with crimson red feathers over ...
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One of the largest of Hawaiʻi’s forest birds at 6-inches in length, the palila is unmistakable with it’s bright yellow head and gray back with light gray belly. They are found only on the southwest slopes of Mauna Kea where they feed almost exclusively on immature green mamane bean pods. These pods are extremely toxic, ...
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The ʻōmaʻo is one of only two remaining species of native thrush (the other being the endangered puaiohi of Kauaʻi) that were once common throughout Hawaiʻi. They eat fruit and play a role in spreading native plants throughout the forest. Mysteriously, they have not been seen in the Kona and Kohala areas of Hawaiʻi Island ...
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The curious ʻelepaio is a lively bird of the Hawaiian forest. At only 5-inches long, they flit through the forest trees catching insects. A rusty brown body with streaks of chestnut, dark brown, and white, they are distinct when they sit with their tail upright. Listen for their dog-toy-like squeak, “el-e-PAI-o.” Hawaiian canoe makers revered ...
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