Maui Birding
Our annual holiday this year was to the beautiful island of Maui, one of the Hawaiian Islands. Lucky me! As you would expect, we couldn't resist doing some birding - so this section features some of our best pictures, which include native forest birds and wetland birds as well as some of the more common birds found in many urban areas.
Hawaii's forest birds like the majestic I'iwi (pictured right) and Apapane honeycreepers are under threat and are restricted to elevations of above 5000 feet due, in part, to Bird Malaria, which is spread by mosquitoes. This disease was introduced by humans who brought in mosquito contaminated water to the island. As native birds have little resistance to this and other diseases spread by mosquitoes, sadly Maui's forest birds can now only survive in the colder, higher elevations of Haleakala National Park and the East Maui wilderness area where mosquitoes are less prevalent.
If this wasn't enough, other challenges exist for Maui's birds, including predation from the Asian Mongoose which was introduced to the island to control the rat population, but instead proved to be an effective predator of some of the islands endangered bird species.
Cattle Egrets (another introduced alien species) also take fledgling birds and have become somewhat of a pest. Let's hope that Maui's conservation groups get a grip on these issues to prevent the iconic I'iwi and other threatened species from becoming extinct.
Forest Birds of Maui
One of the best places to see the forest birds of Maui is Hosmer Grove, which is just inside Haleakala National Park about ten miles from the 10,023 foot summit of the now extinct volcano.
Access is via a fully paved road which winds its way up through the mountain villages of Pukalani and Kula. Hosmer Grove is at around 7,700 feet so the weather is around 5-10 degrees cooler than at seal level. There is a short half-mile trail close to the parking area which loops round the forest and includes an excellent viewing area over the Waikamoi Preserve where an abundance of Lehua flowers attract nectar-feeding Honeycreepers like Amakihi, I'iwi and Apapane.
The very existence of Hawaii's forest birds is now under significant threat from global warming and habitat loss. The forested slopes of Haleakala and East Maui are the only places on Maui where these birds can be seen.
There are only around 6000-7000 Hawaiian Crested Honeycreeper (Ākohekohe) still in existence and numbers of the endangered Maui Parrotbill are thought to be around 500. The only chance of seeing these species is by taking a hike through Waikamoi Preserve (a restricted area). More information on organised hikes through the Waikamoi Preserve is available on Nature.org.
Read more about Hawaii's forest birds >
Wetland Birds of Maui
The best locations for wetland birds on Maui are Kealia Pond, near Kihei and Kanaha Pond which is accessed from the road between the airport and Kahului, close to the start of the Hana Highway.
Common species of wetland bird include the Hawaiian Stilt, Black Crowned Night Heron, Long Billed Dowitcher, Hawaiian Coot and Cattle Egret. If you are lucky (as we were) you may spot an impressive White Faced Ibis - notable for its beautiful plumage and long curve bill for feeding.
The Nēnē - Hawaii's official state bird is actually more of a ground bird than a wetland bird, and is best seen in grassed areas on the slopes of Haleakala National Park, particularly at the entrance road to the park ranger's accommodation opposite the Hosmer Grove entrance road.
Read more about wetland birds of Maui >
Urban Birds of Maui
By far the most common urban birds on Maui are Myna birds and Zebra Doves, which are widespread all over the low lying urban areas of the island.
One of the few nectar-feeding birds which can be found in the garden and parks of Maui is the Japanese White Eye (or Mejiro - to use its Japanese name), as it is an introduced alien species. These beautiful green-coloured birds have a characteristic white ring around their eye and can be seen feeding from Hibiscus flowers.
Other species to look out for are the Red Crested Cardinal (introduced to Maui from Brazil) and the Northern Cardinal (the male of which is all-red with black face parts). These birds are commonly whilst out an about in low lying coastal areas and towns like Paia and Kihei. Northern Cardinals seem to prefer areas with tree cover.
Introduced from Indonesia, the charismatic Java Sparrow is a common visitor to bird-feeders on Maui and can also be seen in large groups on grassed areas in towns.
Read more about urban birds of Maui >
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