About the Akikiki
The ʻakikiki, also called the Kauaʻi creeper, is a critically endangered Hawaiian honeycreeper endemic to Kauaʻi, Hawaiʻi. It is the only member of the genus Oreomystis. Of the Hawaiian birds known to be extant, it is thought to be the most endangered, with only 454 wild individuals reported as of 2018. A survey report in 2021 estimated the population at 45 with a 5 percent annual decrease, in July 2023 the remaining number of wild birds was estimated to be just 5 individuals.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
ID tip
The ʻakikiki is small (13 cm length; 12-17 g mass), with gray plumage above and white below. It is not sexually dimorphic. Juveniles have large white eye rings; adults may retain a pale eyebrow for several years. Legs and bill are pink. The tail is short compared to other birds on Kauaʻi, giving it a stocky appearance. Voice: The adult contact call is a short weet or whit, sometimes doubled. The call may also resemble that of the ʻanianiau, with which it may flock. Its song, heard only in breeding season, is a descending trill. The juvenile breeding call is a stuttering series of chits. During the breeding season, females use a similar call to solicit feeding by males.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
When to see it
Peak activity in March · a resident species across most of its range
Easily confused with
Northern Grosbeak-CanaryCrithagra donaldsoniThe northern grosbeak-canary or Abyssinian grosbeak-canary is a species of passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae.
Yellow-rumped SeedeaterCrithagra xanthopygiaThe yellow-rumped seedeater, yellow-rumped serin or Abyssinian yellow-rumped seedeater is a species of finch in the family Fringillidae.
Blanford's RosefinchAgraphospiza rubescensBlanford's rosefinch or the crimson rosefinch, is a species of finch in the family Fringillidae.
Learn the Akikiki for real
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