Birds of Hawaii: the Hawaiian Honeycreepers<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t Fringillidae: Finches, Euphonias, and Hawaiian Honeycreepers.<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0 The peak of Hawaii\u2019s avian diversity is the group known as Hawaiian honeycreepers, long classified as a family but now understood to be a tribe (the Drepanidini<\/em>) of finches.\u00a0 Like Darwin\u2019s finches in the Gal\u00e1pagos, but more so, the Hawaiian honeycreepers exemplify adaptive radiation\u2014the phenomenon where one species arrives in an unpopulated environment and begets multiple forms that specialize to occupy different ecological niches.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t Of the 39 \u201cdrepanidinines\u201d known to have survived until Europeans arrived in Hawaii, 17 have survived into the 2020s.\u00a0 Apart from the widespread Apapane<\/strong><\/a>, I\u2019iwi<\/strong><\/a>, and Common Amakihi<\/strong><\/a>, the other surviving species are single-island endemics: one each on Laysan, Nihoa, and Oahu, three on Maui, four on Kauai, and four on the Big Island.\u00a0 Three of these\u2014the Akikiki<\/strong><\/a>, Laysan Finch<\/strong><\/a>, and Nihoa Finch<\/strong><\/a>\u2014are effectively confined to areas that are off-limits to the general public, while two others\u2014the Akohekohe<\/strong><\/a> and Maui Parrotbill<\/strong><\/a>\u2014can be seen only through a combination of advance planning and tremendous luck on a privately owned preserve that admits visitors on guided tours about once a month.\u00a0 (For the 22 that did not reach the 2020s alive, see \u201cBirds of Hawaii: Extinct Honeycreepers\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/a>.)<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t Akikiki<\/strong> (Oreomystis bairdi<\/em>)<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t Akikiki.\u00a0 (Mohihi Ridge, Alaka\u2019i Wilderness Preserve, Kauai, Hawaii; October 13, 2019.)\u00a0 \u00a9 Bret Mossman<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t Endemic to Kauai,<\/strong> where it is a critically endangered resident of wet montane forests.\u00a0 For decades, it was an inconspicuous but fairly common resident at Koke\u2019e State Park<\/strong><\/a>.\u00a0 Since the early 2000s it has become a genuine rarity, declining from an estimated population of 6,800 in 1970 to 468 in 2012.\u00a0 Through the 2010s, it was reported sporadically along the Pihea and Alakai Swamp Trails, but seemed increasingly confined to the Alakai Wilderness<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t A small, mousy, short-tailed, wrenlike honeycreeper with brownish-gray upperparts, whitish-gray underparts, pink legs, and a short, decurved pink bill.\u00a0 The sexes are similar, but immatures differ in having an extensively whitish face.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t Maui Alauahio<\/strong> (Paroreomyza montana<\/em>)<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t Maui Alauahio.\u00a0 (Hosmer Grove, Haleakala National Park, Maui, Hawaii; January 20, 2016.)\u00a0 \u00a9 Michael Hooper<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t Endemic to Maui,<\/strong> where it occurs in various forest types at elevations of 900 to 2,500 m on slopes of Mount Haleakala. \u00a0Locally common at Polipoli Spring<\/strong><\/a>, the Waikamoi Preserve<\/strong><\/a>, and the Hosmer Grove in Haleakala National Park<\/strong><\/a>.\u00a0 Formerly occurred throughout Maui and Lanai, but extirpated from the latter around 1937.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t A small, warbler-like honeycreeper with a short straight or slightly decurved bill and remarkably variable plumages.\u00a0 Definitive male plumage is bright golden-yellow overall, duller toward the tail.\u00a0 Female is predominantly a dimmer shade of yellow, with largely olive upperparts.\u00a0 Immatures are medium-gray above and whitish below, with a dark eyeline and pale brow.\u00a0 Subadults show varying amounts and patterns of gray, yellow, and olive.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t Palila<\/strong> (Loxioides bailleui<\/em>)<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t Palila, male.\u00a0 (Pu\u2019u La\u2019au, Big Island, Hawaii; May 7, 2008.)\u00a0 \u00a9 Michael Walther<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t Endemic to the Big Island,<\/strong> where it is confined to dry forest on slopes of Mauna Kea in a narrow elevation band between 2,000 and 2,750 m, where its favored food tree, the m\u0101mane grows. Endangered but still locally common in its tiny range.\u00a0 It can usually be found at Pu\u2019u La\u2019au<\/strong><\/a>, most consistently along the eponymous Palila Forest Discovery Trail, but also along the roads and trails below.\u00a0 Much less common, but found at least occasionally in the open woods around the Mauna Kea Visitor Center above Saddle Road<\/strong><\/a>.\u00a0 Formerly much more widespread, including lower elevations and other islands.\u00a0 Fossilized remains have been discovered on Kauai and Oahu.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t A large, husky, gray-and-yellow honeycreeper with a rounded, parrotlike bill.\u00a0 Gray overall with a bright-yellow hood and yellow staining in the wings and tail.\u00a0 The sexes are mostly similar, but females have less extensive yellow on the crown, much of it replaced by gray, and males have a blackish mask where females are dark-gray.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t Laysan Finch<\/strong> (Telespiza cantans<\/em>)<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t Laysan Finch, male.\u00a0 (Laysan Island, Hawaii.)\u00a0 \u00a9 Robby Kohley<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t Endemic to Laysan Island in the Northwest Chain;<\/strong> introduced to Pearl and Hermes Atoll (approximately 400 miles west-northwest of Laysan) on Bird Island and Southeast Island.\u00a0 Common and conspicuous in its tiny range, three extremely remote mid-oceanic islands that rarely receive human visitors except government employees during work assignments.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t A large, heavy-billed, grosbeak-like finch.\u00a0 Male has mostly golden-yellow head and breast, and otherwise gray with yellow highlights on the wings, back, and tail.\u00a0 Females resemble males, but are duller yellow and more streaked.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t Nihoa Finch<\/strong> (Telespiza ultima<\/em>)<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t Nihoa Finch, male.\u00a0 (Nihoa, Hawaii; September 8, 2011.)\u00a0 \u00a9 Eric VanderWerf<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t Endemic to Nihoa Island in the Northwest Chain.<\/strong>\u00a0 IUCN lists the species as \u201cCritically Endangered\u201d because of its natural vulnerability to catastrophic events in its tiny range.\u00a0 Nevertheless, it remains common on Nihoa, an exceedingly remote, mid-oceanic, 170-acre island that is challenging for boat landings and rarely receives visitors.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t A medium-sized, heavy-billed finch.\u00a0 Male has mostly golden-yellow head and breast, and otherwise gray with yellow highlights on the wings, back, and tail.\u00a0 Female is gray-brown, locally suffused with yellow, and finely streaked blackish on the head, upperparts, breast, and flanks.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t Akohekohe<\/strong> (Palmeria dolei<\/em>)<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t Akohekohe.\u00a0 \u00a9 Jack Jeffrey<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t Endemic to Maui,<\/strong> where it is critically endangered and confined to native forests on the northern and eastern slopes of Mount Haleakala in the range of 1,100 to 2,300 m (mainly 1,500 to 2,100 m).\u00a0 Uncommon, with a tiny and mostly inaccessible range, but it can still be found on guided visits to the Waikamoi Preserve<\/strong><\/a>.\u00a0 Much less often found in the Hosmer Grove of Haleakala National Park<\/strong><\/a>.\u00a0 Formerly also on Molokai, where last reported in 1907.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t A unique honeycreeper with a prominent bushy whitish-gray frontal crest and largely black plumage highlighted throughout with white, gray, and orange spots and streaks.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/birdfinding.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Akikiki21-e1610891125802.jpg\")
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