Birds of Hawaii
made in August 2025
ʻAnianiau
Golden spark in the hibiscus,
a whisper of sunlight in flight
The smallest of the Hawaiian honeycreepers, the ʻAnianiau is a sunbeam with wings, its golden plumage glowing among the hibiscus and lehua.
A gentle hum precedes its arrival, like the whisper of the trade winds.
a whisper of sunlight in flight
The smallest of the Hawaiian honeycreepers, the ʻAnianiau is a sunbeam with wings, its golden plumage glowing among the hibiscus and lehua.
A gentle hum precedes its arrival, like the whisper of the trade winds.
ʻAkikiki (Kauaʻi Creeper)
Quiet as moss,
bright as the heart of the forest.
In the emerald shadows of Kauaʻi, the ʻAkikiki flits from mossy branch to branch, gleaning tiny insects with quiet precision.
Endemic to the island, it is as rare and treasured as the forests it calls home.
bright as the heart of the forest.
In the emerald shadows of Kauaʻi, the ʻAkikiki flits from mossy branch to branch, gleaning tiny insects with quiet precision.
Endemic to the island, it is as rare and treasured as the forests it calls home.
ʻAlauahio (Maui Creeper)
Green shadow in the lehua,
song woven into mist.
A flash of olive-green among scarlet ʻōhiʻa blossoms, the ʻAlauahio’s quick beak hunts insects in the humid heart of Maui’s forests.
Their chatter is a familiar chorus where the mountain mists curl through the trees.
song woven into mist.
A flash of olive-green among scarlet ʻōhiʻa blossoms, the ʻAlauahio’s quick beak hunts insects in the humid heart of Maui’s forests.
Their chatter is a familiar chorus where the mountain mists curl through the trees.
Koa‘e ʻula (Red-tailed Tropicbird)
Fire trails in the sky,
freedom dances on the wind.
With tail feathers like ribbons of flame, the Koa‘e ʻula drifts above sapphire bays, its white wings catching the light of the Pacific sun.
From the sea cliffs of Niʻihau to the hidden coves of Kauaʻi, it’s a symbol of freedom on the wind
freedom dances on the wind.
With tail feathers like ribbons of flame, the Koa‘e ʻula drifts above sapphire bays, its white wings catching the light of the Pacific sun.
From the sea cliffs of Niʻihau to the hidden coves of Kauaʻi, it’s a symbol of freedom on the wind
ʻIo (Hawaiian Hawk)
Eyes of stone,
guardian of valley and sky.
Regal in flight, the ʻIo sweeps above valleys and volcanic ridges, eyes sharp as glass. A guardian of the islands in legend and reality, it watches over Hawaiʻi with unblinking vigilance
guardian of valley and sky.
Regal in flight, the ʻIo sweeps above valleys and volcanic ridges, eyes sharp as glass. A guardian of the islands in legend and reality, it watches over Hawaiʻi with unblinking vigilance
ʻUau (Hawaiian Petrel)
Wings kiss the moonlit waves,
carrying the ocean’s lullaby home.
The ʻUau rides the night winds over the open ocean, its dark wings slicing moonlit waves. Nesting high on volcanic slopes, it carries the song of the deep sea back to the mountains.
carrying the ocean’s lullaby home.
The ʻUau rides the night winds over the open ocean, its dark wings slicing moonlit waves. Nesting high on volcanic slopes, it carries the song of the deep sea back to the mountains.
Hawaiian ʻAmakihi
Small but adaptable, the Hawaiian ʻAmakihi is a bright green honeycreeper with a cheerful, buzzy song.
Unlike many native birds, it shows a surprising resilience to avian malaria, allowing it to thrive in a wider range of habitats, from coastal dry forests to high mountain slopes.
Its versatile diet includes nectar, insects, and even fruit, making it an important player in Hawaiian forest ecology.
Unlike many native birds, it shows a surprising resilience to avian malaria, allowing it to thrive in a wider range of habitats, from coastal dry forests to high mountain slopes.
Its versatile diet includes nectar, insects, and even fruit, making it an important player in Hawaiian forest ecology.
ʻAkohekohe (Crested Honeycreeper)
The rare ʻAkohekohe is a jewel of the high-elevation rainforests on Maui. Its glossy black plumage is splashed with orange, and its distinctive white feather crest gives it an almost regal look.
A fierce defender of its feeding territory, it darts from flower to flower gathering nectar, helping to keep native ecosystems in balance.
Sadly, it is one of the most endangered birds in the islands.
A fierce defender of its feeding territory, it darts from flower to flower gathering nectar, helping to keep native ecosystems in balance.
Sadly, it is one of the most endangered birds in the islands.
Pueo (Hawaiian Short-Eared Owl)
The Pueo is a beloved figure in Hawaiian culture, often seen as a guardian spirit (‘aumakua). Unlike most owls, it hunts during the day, gliding silently over grasslands with keen golden eyes.
It feeds on rodents and small birds, and its camouflage blends seamlessly with the dry plains and volcanic terrain.
In Hawaiian legends, the Pueo can guide and protect lost travelers.
It feeds on rodents and small birds, and its camouflage blends seamlessly with the dry plains and volcanic terrain.
In Hawaiian legends, the Pueo can guide and protect lost travelers.
ʻApapane
The ʻApapane is a tiny burst of crimson energy, forever busy in the treetops. This honeycreeper is a vital pollinator for native plants, especially the ʻōhiʻa lehua.
Its song, a sweet, rapid series of whistles, is one of the most distinctive sounds of Hawaiʻi’s upland forests.
Often found in joyful flocks, the ʻApapane adds a ruby-red shimmer to the emerald canopy.
Its song, a sweet, rapid series of whistles, is one of the most distinctive sounds of Hawaiʻi’s upland forests.
Often found in joyful flocks, the ʻApapane adds a ruby-red shimmer to the emerald canopy.
Nēnē (Hawaiian Goose)
The Nēnē is Hawaiʻi’s state bird, a resilient survivor of near extinction. Endemic to the islands, this goose evolved from Canada geese that arrived thousands of years ago, trading migration for a life among volcanic slopes and grasslands.
Its soft, padded feet are adapted to walking on lava rock, and its gentle, melodic calls carry on the wind.
Conservation efforts have brought it back from fewer than 30 birds in the wild to several thousand today.
Its soft, padded feet are adapted to walking on lava rock, and its gentle, melodic calls carry on the wind.
Conservation efforts have brought it back from fewer than 30 birds in the wild to several thousand today.
ʻIʻiwi (Scarlet Honeycreeper)
With feathers like molten sunset, the ʻIʻiwi is one of Hawaiʻi’s most iconic native birds. Its long, curved beak is perfectly shaped for sipping nectar from tubular flowers like the ʻōhiʻa lehua.
Once widespread across the islands, it now clings to high-elevation forests due to avian diseases spread by mosquitoes.
Seeing one flit among blossoms is like watching living flame dance through the green.
Once widespread across the islands, it now clings to high-elevation forests due to avian diseases spread by mosquitoes.
Seeing one flit among blossoms is like watching living flame dance through the green.
