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 and on July 1, 2024 it was realized that they are now extinct in the wild.
Region
Hawaiian Islands
Typical Environment
Historically found across Kauaʻi, the ʻAkikiki became restricted to the Alaka‘i Plateau and nearby Kōkeʻe highlands in native wet ‘ōhi‘a and koa forests. It favors dense, moss-laden canopies, midstory branches, and trunks where epiphytes and lichens are abundant. The species relied on intact native forest far from mosquito-borne disease, which confined it to the coolest, highest elevations. Habitat degradation and disease pressure further reduced its range until no wild population remained.
Altitude Range
1100–1600 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The ʻAkikiki (Kauaʻi creeper) is the only member of the genus Oreomystis and is endemic to the island of Kauaʻi, Hawaiʻi. It forages like a small creeper, meticulously picking insects from mossy trunks and branches in high-elevation native forests. The species has been devastated by avian malaria spread by non-native mosquitoes, exacerbated by warming temperatures pushing mosquitoes upslope. As of 2024 it is considered extinct in the wild, with a small assurance population maintained in captivity.
Temperament
quiet, methodical, and unobtrusive
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats between trees; agile, creeping along trunks and branches
Social Behavior
Typically seen in pairs or small family groups, and occasionally in mixed-species flocks with other native honeycreepers. Both sexes help build a small cup nest high in native trees and share chick-rearing duties. Clutches are small, often 1–2 eggs, with a breeding season in spring to early summer.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Soft, high-pitched chips and thin trills, often given as contact calls while foraging. Song is modest and can be easily overlooked in windy canopy conditions.
