Ke’anae, Maui, Hawaii
The Ke’anae Peninsula juts out from Maui’s north shore, a mass of jagged lava formations battered by wind and waves, overlooking a small islet where Red-footed and Brown Boobies and “Hawaiian Noddies” gather, and several other seabirds, including Yellow-billed Tropicbird and Great Frigatebird, regularly pass by. The nearby Garden of Eden Arboretum is good for Indian Peafowl, Chinese Hwamei, and Common Amakihi.
Orientation
Directions
Ke’anae is on the Hana Highway about an hour’s drive (30 miles) east of Kahului.
The Garden of Eden Arboretum is also on the Hana Highway, 15 minutes (6 miles) closer to Kahului.
Birdfinding
Ke’anae includes two sites that are about 6 miles apart: the windswept Ke’anae Peninsula and the lush Garden of Eden Arboretum.
Ke’anae Peninsula. The peninsula is a popular stopping point along the highway, where travelers often pull in for a few minutes to watch the waves or have lunch. This is among the most reliable sites on Maui for Red-footed Booby (likely from the breeding colony on Pauwalu Point about a mile to the east).
Five other species of seabird are regularly seen from the peninsula: Wedge-tailed Shearwater, Yellow-billed Tropicbird, Great Frigatebird, Brown Booby (the Indo-Pacific “Forster’s” and sometimes a few of the eastern Pacific “Brewster’s” as well), and “Hawaiian Noddy”.
Landbirds often seen on the peninsula include Pacific Golden-Plover, Warbling White-eye, Scaly-breasted and Chestnut Munias, Java Sparrow, and Northern and Red-crested Cardinals.
The scenic Ke’anae Peninsula is one of the better places on Maui to see Red-footed Booby. © Alan Selin
Garden of Eden Arboretum. The arboretum is just uphill from the Hana Highway. Open daily 8:00 – 16:00; admission fees have customarily been $15 for adults, $5 for children.
A walk through the grounds is likely to add a few landbirds, the most interesting of which are Indian Peafowl, Chinese Hwamei, and Common Amakihi.
In the 1990s, Mitred Parakeets were often seen in this general area, but the introduced population was regarded as an agricultural pest and was largely eradicated or removed. There have been intermittent sightings along the Hana Highway in the 2000s, but it is not clear whether they have continued to breed.
Notes
When to Visit
The peninsula is a public area that is always open. Many of the birds that occur there are present throughout the year.
The Garden of Eden Arboretum is open daily 8:00 – 16:00. Its admission fees have customarily been $15 for adults, $5 for children.