Rising Tide Images
Foraging 'Amakihi
One of the few remaining species of endemic honeycreepers on the island of Oahu, the ‘amakihi still thrives in higher elevation rainforests. Recent census indicates the population is stable or increasing due to resistance to mosquito transmitted avian malaria, adaptability to feed on nonindigenous food sources, and capacity to become habituated to human presence. Often observed using its decurved bill to feed on the nectar of ‘ohi’a lehua, this male was probing bark and buds for small insects, a protein source during breeding. The Oahu ‘amakihi is one of three endemic species of ‘amakihi in the main Hawaiian Islands, a result of insular evolution. In the state of Hawaii, 2024 is Ka Makahiki o Nā Manu Nahele: The Year of the Forest Birds.
Foraging 'Amakihi
One of the few remaining species of endemic honeycreepers on the island of Oahu, the ‘amakihi still thrives in higher elevation rainforests. Recent census indicates the population is stable or increasing due to resistance to mosquito transmitted avian malaria, adaptability to feed on nonindigenous food sources, and capacity to become habituated to human presence. Often observed using its decurved bill to feed on the nectar of ‘ohi’a lehua, this male was probing bark and buds for small insects, a protein source during breeding. The Oahu ‘amakihi is one of three endemic species of ‘amakihi in the main Hawaiian Islands, a result of insular evolution. In the state of Hawaii, 2024 is Ka Makahiki o Nā Manu Nahele: The Year of the Forest Birds.