Hawaii's Birds

`Akialoa

'Akialoa
© H. Douglas Pratt

One of the birds whose song is no longer heard in the forests of Kaua`i is the Kaua`i `akialoa. While considered numerous in the 1890s, the population started declining soon thereafter. Despite intensive searches and rumors that the Kaua`i `akialoa may still persist, no confirmed sightings have been made since 1965. Some naturalists retain hope that survivors may still exist in remote tracts of intact native forest.

Threats:
The `akialoa's habit of frequenting forest edges and low elevations may have exposed them to introduced diseases, starting their decline toward extinction.

Hawaiian Hawk ('io)

Hawaiian hawk ('io)
© H. Douglas Pratt

To ancient Hawaiians, the 'io was a royal figure: strong and aggressive, but also graceful and stately, flying silently high above the earth. The Hawaiian saying "kaha ka 'io i ka malie" translates as "the hawk stands out in the calm skies," and is used to denote admiration for a person who stands out in a crowd because of their appearance or charisma. The palace of the Hawaiian monarchy in Honolulu was named 'Iolani, "Exalted Hawk," which reflects this long-standing symbolism.

Survival:
The 'io has been able to persist because it can thrive in a variety of habitats. It has learned to hunt the rodents that have been introduced into the ecosystem, thus augmenting its ancient diet of forest birds. As a top predator, the presence of 'io in the forests of Kona is also an indication that the system which supports it is still relatively intact. In ecological systems, when the underpinnings are damaged, the top predators are often the first to be affected. In the forests of Kapu'a in South Kona, 'io still build their nests in strong 'ōhi'a trees, calling out their existence for all to hear.

Kaua`i Thrush (Puaiohi)

Kauai thrush (puaiohi)
© H. Douglas Pratt

The puaiohi, or small Kaua`i thrush, is found only on the island of Kaua`i. Listed as endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the state Division of Forestry and Wildlife, the puaiohi is considered to be critically vulnerable to global extinction. It is restricted to the high elevation `ōhi`a forest in the Alaka`i Wilderness. Two decades ago, the Hawai`i Forest Bird Survey estimated the population at merely two to three dozen.

Threats:
The following must be controlled if the puaiohi is to survive:

Spread of alien plants into the Alaka`i Wilderness
Proliferation of goats and pigs
Predation by small mammals such as rats

Maui Parrotbill (kikekoa)

Maui parrotbill
©Eric Nishibayashi

The Maui parrotbill is one of Hawaii's rarest birds. Living in the remote mountains of East Maui, it has a rich olive green body with a yellow chest. The head, with a bright yellow band just above the eye, is masked in dark olive. The most distinctive feature of the bird is its strong, hooked parrot-like bill, used for vigorous prying of chunks of koa bark, or snapping straight through strong twigs of understory shrubs in search of its major food: native beetles boring through the wood. The force of the jaws working the bill is enormous relative to the "songbird" size of the Maui parrotbill, and sometimes you can hear the crunching and snapping of the twigs and branches as the bird works its way through the understory.

Threats:
The Maui parrotbill's survival is threatened by:

habitat destruction by pigs
introduced predators, especially rats
avian diseases spread by mosquitoes

Today, while the parrotbill is restricted to the wet forests of East Maui, it seems to be holding its own, benefiting from the healthy regrowth of understory shrubs following a decade of feral pig control in Waikamoi and adjacent watershed lands.

`O`u

`O`u is one of Hawai'i's rarest birds. It once inhabited the islands of Kaua`i, O`ahu, Moloka`i, Lana`i, Maui, and Hawai`i. Today, it can only be found on the islands of Kaua`i and Hawai`i, where it resides in the upper canopy of `ohi`a forests. On Kaua`i, the few remaining individuals live at the 3-5,000 foot elevation in the Alaka`i Wilderness.

Threats:
Survival of the `o`u is threatened by:

Habitat destruction
Introduced predators
Avian diseases, such as malaria

Pueo

Pueo

The Pueo and the Hawaiian Hawk are the only two extant native birds of prey native to the Hawaiian Islands. The pueo is a subspecies of the North American short-eared owl, and is considered by many scientists to be a relatively recent natural arrival to Hawai'i.it is celebrated as an `aumakua (ancestral spirit) by many Hawaiians.