Palila
Loxioides bailleui
The Palila (Loxioides bailleui) is a rare finches, euphonias, and alli found only in the United States, weighing about 38 g. The palila is a critically endangered finch-billed species of Hawaiian honeycreeper.
About the Palila
The palila is a critically endangered finch-billed species of Hawaiian honeycreeper. It has a golden-yellow head and breast, with a light belly, gray back, and greenish wings and tail. The bird has a close ecological relationship with the māmane tree, and became endangered due to destruction of the trees and accompanying dry forests. The first specimen of the palila was collected in 1876 at the Greenwell Ranch on the Big Island by Pierre Étienne Théodore Ballieu (1828–1885), who was French consul in Hawaiʻi from 1869 to 1878. The type specimen is housed at the Muséum national d'histoire naturelle in Paris.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The palila has a yellow head and breast, with white to light gray plumage ventrally, medium gray plumage dorsally, and olive-green wings and tail. The bird also has a heavy dark bill with swollen sides, a brown iris, and dark feet with yellowish soles. The palila is one of the largest living Hawaiian honeycreepers, measuring around 6–7.5 inches (15–19 cm). With a body mass of 38.1 g (1.34 oz) on average in males and 37.6 g (1.33 oz), it appears to be the heaviest Hawaiian honeycreeper. There is some sexual dimorphism.
Where it lives
When to see it
Best months: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, September, October, November, December, with peak activity in February. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Palila?
- The palila has a yellow head and breast, with white to light gray plumage ventrally, medium gray plumage dorsally, and olive-green wings and tail. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Palila?
- The Palila is a small sized bird weighing about 38 g.
- Where can you see a Palila?
- The Palila is endemic to the United States, which is the only country where it occurs.
- What birds look similar to a Palila?
- The Palila is most easily confused with the Antillean Siskin, the Drakensberg Siskin and the Tenerife Blue Chaffinch.
- Is the Palila endangered?
- The Palila is listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Palila for real
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