Akohekohe
Palmeria dolei
A large, rare Hawaiian Honeycreeper of high elevation wet forests on eastern Maui. Its bushy, forward-pointing crest is distinctive. May appear mostly black at a distance or in misty weather. Juveniles are less brightly colored than adults. Usually found foraging in the forest canopy giving loud and boisterous songs and calls. The song is a varied series of gurgles, whistles, and buzzes. Aggressively chases other birds away from flowering trees.
Identification
The ʻākohekohe is the largest honeycreeper on Maui, at 6.5 to 7 inches (17 to 18 cm) in length. The adults are a glossy black with whitish feathers and stripes going down its side. The underparts are whitish black while the top has orange feathers sticking from wings. The feathers behind the eyes are a reddish color, and have a stream of cream colored feathers coming from the eyes. One of the things that most people recognize about this bird is its whitish gold colored feather crest on its head. The younger birds are brownish black and they do not have the orange feathers of the parents. The legs and bills are a blackish color.<p>It has a variety of songs. The most well known of the calls is a pair of whee-o, whee-o, being repeated over and over again. Also another well known song is a descending thrill which is done about five seconds apart. It songs include a low chuckling sound, tjook, tjook, chouroup or a rarer song, hur-hur-hur-gluk-gluk-gluk.<p>The ʻākohekohe is a nectarivore that feeds on the flowers of ʻōhiʻa lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha) high up in the canopy. It is an aggressive bird and will drive away competing nectarivores, such as the related ʻapapane and ʻiʻiwi. When ʻōhiʻa lehua blossoms are limited, it will eat insects, fruit, and nectar from other plants. The ʻākohekohe will forage in the understory if necessary, where food plants include ʻākala (Rubus hawaiensis).<p>Its natural habitat is wet forests dominated by koa (Acacia koa) and ʻōhiʻa lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha) on the windward side of Haleakalā at elevations of 4,200 to 7,100 feet (1,300 to 2,200 m). During a search for the species in the east Maui forests, there were a record of 415 observations over an area of 11,000 acres (45 km2) and at elevations from 4,200 to 7,100 feet (1,300 to 2,200 m) above sea level. It has been estimated that there are a total of 3,800 ʻākohekohe left on Maui in two populations separated by the Koʻolau Gap. They are sometimes but rarely seen at Hosmer Grove in Haleakalā National Park.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Palmeria dolei
- Authority
- (Wilson, SB, 1891)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Fringillidae
- Genus
- Palmeria
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
According to the Federal Endangered Species Act, this bird is protected by law along with its habitat. The bird was included in the act in March 1967. It was also a part of many other documents including the Maui-Molokai Forest Bird Recovery Plan in 1967, by the Fish and Wildlife Service. It will serve as a guideline to protect the indigenous life of Maui and Molokaʻi. The final recovery plan in 1984 continues the last, keeping eyes on the species and eradicating any ungulates that are introduced into the area that can harm and or disturb the ʻākohekohe and other native forest birds in Maui's forests.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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Very small nightjar with an indistinct buffy throat. Ground color is variable between subspecies, with some paler and others darker. In flight, note the white wing stripes in both sexes. Males have two white patches on tail. Found in wooded rocky caatinga (dry scrubby forest), where it roosts on rock outcrops and boulders. The song is a short “wheeo.”
Streaked Flycatcher
Myiodynastes maculatus
Large, streaky flycatcher, summer migrant in northern part of its range. Favors forest and edge, plantations with tall trees; lives mainly at middle to upper levels in the canopy. Told from slightly smaller and slimmer Sulphur-bellied by paler throat, lack of thick blackish moustaches, lack of strong yellow wash on belly, and bigger bill with pale pinkish base below (can be matched by juvenile Sulphur-bellied).
White-throated Rock-Thrush
Monticola gularis
Uncommon throughout most of its range, this elusive rock thrush breeds in rocky hill forest in northeastern China and Russia and migrates down the East Asian coast to winter in southern China and mainland Southeast Asia. Beautiful and distinctive male has a blue crown, orange underparts, and black wings marked with a bright white patch; small white patch on throat is not obvious and difficult to see. Female is brown with scaly markings on her back and breast; she lacks a pale crescent behind the eye. Usually stays low in shrubbery, but male will sing from an exposed perch.
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