Read the full newsletter 10 things we want to share about House Finches They’re not sparrows. Both House Finches and House Sparrows are common five-to-six-inch-long nonnative birds found throughout Hawaiʻi, but the birds belong to different families: sparrow and finch. Males of the two species look distinct, each with his own colors and patterns. House […]
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Read the full newsletter 10 things we want to share about the Warbling White-eye (Mejiro) In 2018, researchers changed this bird’s English name from Japanese White-eye to Warbling White-eye. Researchers have identified 15 subspecies (so far) of Warbling White-eyes, native to Japan, Indonesia, the Philippines, Korea, and far east Russia. Most Hawaiʻi residents know the
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Read the full newsletter Bird Droppings: 10 things we want to share about Hawaiʻi ʻAukuʻu (Black-crowned Night Heron) The remarkable Black-crowned Night Heron is the most widespread heron in the world breeding on every continent except Antarctica and Australia. This Hawaiʻi native waterbird’s favorite food is fish, especially the introduced tilapia. But ʻaukuʻu are opportunists that eat anything they
Hooked on ʻAukuʻu, the Black-crowned Night Heron 🌙 Read More »
Read the full newsletter 10 things we want to share about Hawaiʻi’s Tropicbirds Tropicbirds live worldwide in the tropics and subtropics. Because these seabirds’ shrill calls reminded sailors of the bosun officer’s whistle, tropicbirds are sometimes called bosun birds. Three tropicbird species exist: 1) Red-tailed Tropicbird (koaʻe ʻula), and 2) White-tailed Tropicbird (koaʻe kea), and 3) Red-billed Tropicbird. Only the first two raise young
Dancing in the sky: Hawaiʻi’s Tropicbirds Read More »
Read the full newsletter 12 things we want to share about Bulbuls Hawaiʻi’s two bulbuls, Red-vented and Red-whiskered, are native to India and Southeast Asia. Both species appeared on Oʻahu in the mid-1960s, the result of cage releases. Bulbuls were then (and still are) on Hawaiʻi’s list of birds prohibited from import. In 1966 and 1967, Oʻahu’s first wild Red-vented
Red rears and red whiskers: It’s bulbul time Read More »
Read the full newsletter 10 things we want to share about Honolulu’s manu o Kū (White Terns) Although Manu o Kū breed worldwide on tropical and subtropical islands in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans, one group has chosen to raise their young in Honolulu. The first record of this seabird breeding on Oʻahu was
Now It’s Their Tern: Honolulu’s Manu o Kū Read More »
Read the full newsletter Bird Droppings: 10 Things We Want to Share About ʻAlae ʻUla, the Hawaiian Gallinule 1. The ʻalae ʻula is a waterbird found only in Hawaiʻi, meaning it is endemic. It’s also endangered due to wetland losses. 2. Only about 700 ʻalae ʻula remain, all in Kauaʻi and Oʻahu wetlands. 3. This member of the rail family
The Fiery ʻAlae ʻUla 🔥 Read More »
Contribute to the Conservation of Hawaiʻi’s Birds The work that federal employees perform in Hawaiʻi’s wildlife refuges to keep our native birds safe and reproducing is often unseen and underappreciated. These dedicated workers maintain water levels in wetlands, control flooding, and remove choking weeds. Some employees nurture seedlings and plant koa and other native trees
Hawaiʻi Bird Crisis Fund ❤️ Read More »
Read the full newsletter 10 things we want to share about Red-crested Cardinals (AKA Brazilian Cardinals and Red-headed Cardinals) The species is native to northern Argentina, southern Brazil, Bolivia, Uruguay, and Paraguay. The Hui Manu Society (the forerunner of the Hawaiʻi Audubon Society) introduced an unknown number of these birds to Oʻahu and Kauaʻi between
What’s Up With Red-crested Cardinals? Read More »
Read the full newsletter Plover Love: 10 Things We Want to Share About Hawaiʻi’s Kōlea (Pacific Golden-Plovers) 1. Hawaiʻi has its own kōlea population that spends winters in Hawaiʻi and summers breeding in Alaska. (Kōlea never nest or raise chicks in Hawaiʻi.) 2. The Hawaiian Islands are one of the few places in the world where kōlea associate
Hawaiʻi’s Kōlea: A Plover Lover’s Valentine Read More »