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Brooks Rownd | profile | all galleries >> Hawai'i >> Hawaiian Flora and Fauna >> Hawaiian Birds >> 'Akepa tree view | thumbnails | slideshow

'Apapane | Hawai'i 'Amakihi | I'iwi | 'Oma'o | Hawai'i 'Elepaio | Palila | Pueo | 'Akiapola'au | 'Akepa | Hawai'i Creeper | Nene | 'Io | Kolea | Koa'e Kea | 'Auku'u | Maui Birds

'Akepa

'Akepa are the smallest of Hawai'i's honeycreepers, and specialize in prying insects out of freshly budding clusters of new leaves on 'ohi'a trees. Males are bright orange. Females and juveniles are green and grey, with yellow-orange "bibs", but some females may approach males in orangeness. Otherwise they are often difficult to differentiate from the various other "little green birds". They're most easily found by ear, and have a feeble sounding high wheedly call, and a short descending song of variable and sluggish tempo.

At present the 'akepa population seems to be most concentrated at Hakalau NWR, and along the upper edge of the Ka'u forest reserve, but there are small populations scattered in between, including in some of the kipukas along Powerline Road. I find most of my 'akepa in the good kipuka 4.7 kilometers into Powerline Road.

Closely related 'akepas on other islands include subspecies on Maui (possibly extinct) and 'O'ahu (extinct), and the 'akeke'e of Kaua'i (endangered and declining).
Male 'Akepa
Male 'Akepa
Male 'Akepa
Male 'Akepa
Male 'Akepa
Male 'Akepa
Male 'Akepa
Male 'Akepa
'Akepa
'Akepa
'Akepa
'Akepa
'Akepa
'Akepa
Juvenile 'Akepa?
Juvenile 'Akepa?
Male 'Akepa
Male 'Akepa
Male 'Akepa
Male 'Akepa
'Akepa
'Akepa
'Akepa
'Akepa