ʻAkiapōlāʻau

Scientific Name:  Hemignathus wilsoni, Hemignathus munroi

Found: Endemic to the island of Hawai‘i

Population Estimate as of 2024: <1,900 (decreasing)

IUCN Status: Endangered 

​​

About: This striking honeycreeper is known for their distinctive, specialized bills. The top mandible is long and curved while the lower beak is short, stocky, and chisel-like. An insectivore, the ‘akiapōlā‘au uses its sturdy lower bill to tap tree branches until it locates its prey of beetle larva, spiders, and caterpillars hiding beneath the bark. It then uses its lower beak to chip holes into the branches (much like a woodpecker), before tweezing out its meal with its long, upper beak. While they rarely drink nectar, they sometimes do drink sap from their drilling.

​

Adult males have a bright yellow head and a small, black mask on the face. Females are more olive green on their heads and backs and are generally smaller with shorter beaks. 

PC: Bryan Shirota