Rising Tide Images
Avian Pollinator
This stunning ‘i’iwi feeds on nectar from māmane blossoms. Its long decurved bill is well adapted to feed on the nectar of several endemic plant species that produce tubular flowers. The pollen visible on the bill will be conveyed to other blossoms making this scarlet honeycreeper an important pollinator in native Hawaiian forests.
Due to former hunting for its feathers to fabricate adornments for royalty its population dwindled. Now, its susceptibility to mosquito transmitted avian malaria has restricted the remaining population to high altitude forests.
2024 is Ka Makahiki o Nā Manu Nahele: The Year of the Forest Birds.
Avian Pollinator
This stunning ‘i’iwi feeds on nectar from māmane blossoms. Its long decurved bill is well adapted to feed on the nectar of several endemic plant species that produce tubular flowers. The pollen visible on the bill will be conveyed to other blossoms making this scarlet honeycreeper an important pollinator in native Hawaiian forests.
Due to former hunting for its feathers to fabricate adornments for royalty its population dwindled. Now, its susceptibility to mosquito transmitted avian malaria has restricted the remaining population to high altitude forests.
2024 is Ka Makahiki o Nā Manu Nahele: The Year of the Forest Birds.