The ʻakiapōlāʻau, pronounced ah-kee-ah-POH-LAH-OW, is a species of Hawaiian honeycreeper that is endemic to the island of Hawaii. Its natural habitats are dry and montane moist forests, and the only bird species on the island to occupy the woodpecker niche. The bird is 5.5 inches (14 cm) in length, and has an unusually curved beak-(a specialist species). The ʻakiapolaʻau is a pudgy bird which has a whitish bottom and tail, black legs, yellow chest, orangish head, black face mask and bill and gray black wings. The male's song is either a loud, short pit-er-ieu or a rapid warba-warba. Its various calls include an upslurred whistle, a short cheedle-ee warble, and a short sweet. Due to the recent disappearance of the Kauai nukupuʻu in the 1900s and the Maui nukupuʻu in the 1990s, leading to fears that they may be extinct, the ʻakiapōlāʻau may be the last of its genus. It is the only member of the subgenus Heterorhynchus, which has a woodpecker-like feeding habitat and exclusively preys on insects, in contrast to the nukupuʻu, which were both insect-eaters and also hummingbird-like nectarivores.
Region
Hawaiian Islands (island of Hawaiʻi)
Typical Environment
Occurs only on Hawaiʻi Island, primarily in montane koa–ʻōhiʻa forests. It favors mature stands with abundant dead branches and bark crevices where it can probe for beetle larvae and caterpillars. The species persists mostly at higher elevations where cooler temperatures limit mosquitoes and avian malaria. It is patchily distributed, with strongholds in protected upland forests and management areas.
Altitude Range
1200–2500 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The ʻakiapōlāʻau is a Hawaiian honeycreeper that uniquely fills a woodpecker-like niche, using an unusual bill with a long, decurved upper mandible and short, straight lower mandible to chisel and probe bark for insects. It is restricted to high-elevation forests on Hawaiʻi Island and is highly vulnerable to avian malaria carried by mosquitoes. Conservation efforts focus on forest restoration, predator and mosquito control, and protecting koa–ʻōhiʻa habitats.
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with bounding, tree-to-tree flights
Social Behavior
Usually encountered singly or in pairs, maintaining territories year-round. Pairs may remain bonded for multiple seasons and nest in ʻōhiʻa or koa trees. Clutch size is small and parental care is prolonged, reflecting its specialized foraging strategy.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Song includes a loud, clear whistled pit-er-ieu and rapid warbling notes (warba-warba). Calls range from upslurred whistles to short cheedle-like chips and sweet, thin contact notes.
Plumage
Male is bright yellow to yellow-orange on head and breast, olive to gray-olive upperparts, grayish wings, and whitish belly; females are duller olive-yellow. Plumage appears clean with subtle contrast between yellow underparts and darker upperparts.
Diet
Primarily feeds on arthropods, especially beetle larvae, caterpillars, and other insects extracted from beneath bark and dead wood. It uses the lower mandible to hammer or chisel and the long upper mandible to probe and pry. Occasional gleaning from leaves and lichens is observed; nectar use is minimal compared to other honeycreepers.
Preferred Environment
Forages on mature koa and ʻōhiʻa trees, focusing on dead branches, snags, and bark crevices. Often works methodically along trunks and larger limbs in mid to upper canopy layers.
