We think the same birds return to visit us but it might just be our imagination! Many years ago Hokuala (previously known as Kaua’i Lagoons) was one of the most successful breeding grounds for the Nene, with up to 800 birds on the property. It's so nice to meet you! Hi, I'm Morgan! The feral chickens were likely once bred and raised for food, but today they roam the entire island freely, giving tourists a show with their vibrant plumage and distinctive crowing. Some are migratory, some live here their whole lives and some live at sea, keeping nests near beaches and on cliffs. We focus on one threatened (I’iwi) and three federally endangered species (Puaiohi, ‘Akikiki, and ‘Akeke’e) , with the goal of facilitating recovery of their populations in the wild. Please log in again. That means the march of mosquitoes into the upper reaches of the birds… The Hawaii creeper, a bird endemic to the Big island of Hawaii, is characterized by having an olive green overall plumage, white throat, and dark gray mask. Apapane (ah-pa-PAW-nay) are the most commonly seen honeycreepers, both on the Big Island and Kauai. (I didn’t include any affiliate links in this post- I wanted this one to be purely fun and informational! After logging in you can close it and return to this page. They aren’t quite as tall as Hawaiian Stilts, but they have similarly tall legs. It’s magical to see an I’iwi or Elepaio when you are out hiking but I can’t deny that it’s also wonderful be sitting in your yard and suddenly there’s a flash of red in the plumeria and there’s a bright Red Northern Cardinal or Red Crested Cardinal. 7. The Native I’iwi Bird on Kauai – courtesy photo of the Audobon Society. We have visited Kauai several years in a row and always especially enjoy the Red-crested Cardinals. Once they were found at all elevations but now they can now only be found in the higher elevations in forests, so in Koke’e and Alaka’i on Kauai. This bright red bird with its sickle-like bill is easiest to see on Kauai, Maui, and the Big Island, though lucky birders can still spot the bird on Molokai and Oahu in the proper habitat. Although indigenous to Hawaii, nearly all of Kauai’s seabirds are found elsewhere. yes, the Nene, not the chicken. A list of suggestions for birding sites on Kauai, Oahu, Maui, and Big Island are located in the back of the book on pages 134-137. Superbly illustrated with more than 80 color photographs, The Birds of Kauai covers every avian species that can be seen on the Garden Island. They were tough to photograph, though, as they stayed pretty high in trees and moved around a lot. I love their piercing, round eyes, which vary in color based on age. Pacific Golden Plover (Pluvialis Fulva). SOS accepts all native Hawaiian birds and the Hawaiian hoary bat for rehabilitation. The Hawaiian Petrel is a large oceanic bird that inhabits five Hawaiian Islands, including Maui, Hawai’i, Kaua’i, and Lāna‘i. After doing some more research, I was led to believe that this Heron is a juvenile! They are an aggressive bird that will compete with many native birds for their food and nesting areas. Please give credit when sharing this post. The Nene is the official “bird of Kauai”. The male will bob his head up and down while following his potential female mate, making sure to show off the underside of his tail. It can be inflated for 20 minutes or more! Twenty-five years of population data shows dramatic decreases among honeycreepers — 57 percent for anianiau, 91 percent for the Kauai amakihi, and 98 percent for the akekee in their home ranges between 2000 and 2012 alone. One of our favorite (and most anticipated!) Kauai also has a native Owl, the only bird of prey, the “Pueo” in Hawaiian. We never got to see these birds up-close, but they sure put on a show for us in the air! None of the species we see, and few of the others, are endangered. As a member of the Starling family, these prominent birds are actually a common nuisance to the areas they inhabit. Please Kokua (Hawaiian word roughly translated as help but in this sense : Please do the right thing and care for the “aina”) . We saw plenty more birds during our stay, but unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get pictures of them all. As for the Cardinals, I wouldn’t doubt that they came back to visit you guys! Frankly, I was a little bummed that I wouldn’t be seeing any of my favorite birds while on this trip. I’d love to hear from you! The Hawaiian Stilt and the Nene (Hawaiian Goose) are native to Hawaii. Don’t you just love the little red shield they have on their forehead? 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