The pākalakala, also known as the gray-backed tern or spectacled tern, is endemic to the central Pacific and breeds on small and remote islands and atolls. Adults are mostly slate gray above and white below with a black crown and nape. The forehead has a narrow white patch that is continuous along a white eye-brow ...
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The manu-o-Kū, also known as the white tern or fairy tern, is a small, all-white bird with a short, forked tail, dark eyes, and a thick, pointed black bill with a blue base. Males and females are identical in appearance. Named the official bird of the City & County of Honolulu, the manu-o-Kū can often ...
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The ka‘upu or black-footed albatross is the smallest albatross in Hawai‘i. Adults are entirely black except for a narrow whitish area at the base of the bill and another under the eyes. They feed from the surface by seizing prey while sitting on the water, and will “tipup” like ducks, using their well-developed olfactory sense ...
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The mōlī or Laysan albatross is a large, abundant seabird whose breeding range is centered in Hawai‘i. Adults are mostly white except for black wings and tail; upperwings entirely dark, underwings mostly white with variable amounts of black especially along leading and trailing edges. Bill is pink with gray, hooked tip; legs and feet are ...
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The noio koha (brown noddy) is a tropical seabird closely related to noio (black noddy) from which it can be distinguished by its brown plumage and larger size. Both sexes are dark brown with a white caped head. Brown noddy forage over the open ocean but do not plunge and dive like other tern species. ...
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The least tern is the smallest of American terns at about 8 inches. They are white with a black eye strip, white head, and black bill. During breading season, they have a yellow bill and black cap. Although rare in Hawaiʻi, a few documented nests have been found but they seem to be increasing on ...
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The ʻewaʻewa, or sooty tern, nest in dense colonies and are the most abundant tern in Hawaiʻi. They will nest in the same area each year and lay only one egg. You can often find them feeding in mixed flocks, searching for small fish and squid. They have a black back and upper wings with ...
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The stately ʻaukuʻu is found near ponds, streams, marshes and shorelines where it hunts for shellfish, fish, frogs, mice, insects, and even other birds. Standing about 2-feet tall, they are gray with a black bill, head, and back and yellow legs and feet with piercing red eyes. When breeding, they have long white feathers streaming ...
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The ʻā, or red-footed booby, is the most abundant booby in the Hawaiian Islands. The nest in colonies and almost exclusively in shrubs and trees. Young birds do not have the characteristic pinkish-red feet they are named for. They gain their red feet as they become adults. They are mostly white with black wing edges ...
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The ʻā, or brown booby is a little taller than 2 feet. Most nest on the ground in small, scattered colonies and feed on flying fish. They can often be seen feeding in mixed flocks. They are mostly dark brown, with white on the belly. Their bill is yellow while the female’s face is also ...
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The ʻā, or masked booby, is the largest of the boobies. They typically nest on the ground, using pebbles and other debris. Like the other booby species, a large portion of a Masked Booby’s diet is flying fish. They are mostly white with a black tail and wing edge. Their bill and eyes are yellow, ...
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Often soaring high in the sky, the ʻiwa is commonly seen throughout the pacific They are easy to spot with their large black body and 7 ½-foot wingspan. Females have white breast feathers, while the males have a bright red throat pouch that they inflate like a balloon to attract females. In the Hawaiian language, ...
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Koaʻe ʻula, with their long red tail feathers, is a graceful flyer over the ocean. With a wingspan of nearly 4-feet, they are brilliant white with black streaks around its eyes and a yellow to red bill. Feeding on fish and squid throughout the day, they nest and roost on the ground under the shade ...
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Koaʻe kea, with their long white tail feathers, is a graceful flyer over the ocean. With a wingspan of about 3-feet, they are brilliant white with black streaks around its eyes and along wing edges. Feeding on fish and squid throughout the day, they nest and roost in the security of cliff faces and rock ...
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The ʻakeʻake is a small bat-like seabird that will sometimes “tap-dance” on the water to attract its prey of small squid and crustaceans. While long suspected to be a breeding resident in Hawaiʻi, the first burrow of this small and secretive bird was not found until 2015 on Hawaiʻi Island. It is listed as federally ...
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