‘Ākohekohe

Description

The rare and ornate ʻākohekohe, or Crested honeycreeper, is one of the largest honeycreepers and also one of the most distinctive. ‘Ākohekohe measure about 7 inches and are uniformly dark with silver flecks on the face and upper breast, and have a bright orange nape and eye patch. The white crest on their foreheads is the source of their English name. With their exceptionally long legs, they often run across the treetops between blossoms, and are regularly seen doing acrobatic twists and splits to reach flowers.

Habitat and Behavior

‘Ākohekohe survive in pristine native forests above 5,700 ft in elevation, making them the most range-restricted native forest bird on Maui. ‘Ākohekohe forage almost exclusively on nectar from ʻōhiʻa lehua blossoms in the forest canopy. They also sometimes visit the flowers and fruits of other native plants; occasionally they can be seen picking insects and arthropods from branches.

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Past and Present

‘Ākohekohe were once found on much of Maui and Moloka’i but are now restricted to an area of about 5,000 acres (20 square kilometers) in remote high elevation forest on the slopes of Haleakalā. ‘Ākohekohe population is estimated to be between 1200 and 2000 individuals.

Conservation Efforts

‘Ākohekohe are listed as critically endangered. The already small home range of ʻākohekohe continues to be threatened by invasive and introduced predators and disease from introduced/invasive mosquitoes. We are regularly monitoring the ʻākohekohe population distribution and abundance, working to control invasive species, and investigating a possible conservation translocation.