‘Akohekohe

Crested Honeycreeper; Palmeria dolei

'Akohekohe

Crested Honeycreeper; Palmeria dolei

The rare (critically endangered) and ornate ‘Ākohekohe, or Crested Honeycreeper, is closely related to the much more common ‘Apapane. It is one of the largest honeycreepers, measuring over 7 inches, and also one of the most distinctive. ‘Ākohekohe are uniformly dark with silver flecks on the face and upper breast, white-tipped tails and wingtips, and have bright orange napes and eye patches. The white crest on their foreheads is the source of their English name. ‘Ākohekohe fiercely defend nectar sources and are often seen chasing other birds out of ‘ōhi‘a trees. With their exceptionally long legs, they typically run across the treetops between blossoms and are seen doing very acrobatic twists and splits to reach flowers. Unlike its cousin the ‘Apapane, ‘Ākohekohe only exist in pristine native forests above 5,700 ft in elevation making them the most range-restricted species on Maui.

'Akohekohe Movements

In 2013, graduate student Alex Wang (UH– Hilo) began a research project with MFBRP to investigate the dispersal distance and direction (elevation) of juvenile ‘Ākohekohe.

'Akohekohe Movements

What’s in a Name?

Crested Honeycreeper or ‘Ākohekohe? The Hawaiian name ‘Ākohekohe most likely originated from a variation of it’s low glutteral song, “AH-kohay-kohay”.

Listen to 'Akohekohe

The most common song is an upslurred two-note whistle. Other calls are similar in tone and quality but highly variable in style. These include the low, guttural, “peter-peter gluk gluk” and “AH-kohay-kohay”.

More Information

Habitat and Behavior

Mostly nectarivorous, ‘Ākohekohe forage almost exclusively on ʻōhiʻa lehua blossoms in the forest canopy. Occasionally they can be seen picking insects and other arthropods from branches. They also sometimes visit the flowers and fruits of other native plants.

Past and Present

‘Ākohekohe were once found on much of Maui and Moloka’i but are now restricted to an area of about 20 square kilometers (5,000 acres) on Haleakalā volcano. Fewer than 2,000 individuals remain and functional extinction could occur in less than a decade if management is not successful.

Conservation Efforts

‘Ākohekohe are listed as endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The already shrinking range of the ‘Ākohekohe continues to be threatened by invasive and introduced plants and animals and by the upslope movement of avian malaria in response to climate change. We are monitoring the ‘Ākohekohe population distribution and abundance, decreasing invasive species, like predators and mosquitoes, and investigating a possible conservation translocation to other high elevation areas to promote increased range and abundance levels.

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