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'Ākohekohe
Scientific Name: Palmeria dolei
Found: Now only present on Maui but were once found on Moloka'i
Population Estimate as of 2024: <2,000 (decreasing)
IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
About: The ʻākohekohe is one of the largest extant honeycreepers, measuring about 7 inches from beak to tail. It is also known as the "Crested Honeycreeper" for its distinctive crest of silvery feathers. This crest collects pollen as the bird forages for nectar from ‘ōhi‘a trees. Aggressive and mobile, their long legs let them run across the canopy as they twist and stretch to reach blossoms.
‘Ākohekohe were once common on Maui and Moloka’i but are now restricted to about 5,000 acres on Maui's Haleakalā volcano. With a declining population of less than 1,700 individuals they are at risk of extinction from mosquito-borne diseases within the next decade.
PC: Jim Denny
Common song is an upslurred two-note whistle. Can also be heard to make guttural, “peter-peter gluk gluk” calls and a call that sounds like its name.
Known to be territorial they frequently chase 'i'iwi and other birds from patches of flowers. A tubular, brush-tipped tongue helps them sip nectar.