The ʻākohekohe, or crested honeycreeper, is a species of Hawaiian honeycreeper. It is endemic to the island of Maui in Hawaiʻi. The ʻākohekohe is susceptible to mosquito‐transmitted avian malaria and only breeds in high‐elevation wet forests.
Region
Hawaiian Islands (Maui)
Typical Environment
Restricted to high-elevation wet montane and cloud forests on the northeastern slopes of Haleakalā, East Maui. It favors native ʻōhiʻa-koa forests with dense canopy and abundant flowering understory. The species avoids lower elevations where avian malaria and habitat alteration are more severe. It uses the mid to upper canopy for foraging and nesting, often along ridges and sheltered gulches.
Altitude Range
1300–2100 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The ʻākohekohe, or crested honeycreeper, is Maui’s largest surviving Hawaiian honeycreeper and a key pollinator of native plants like ʻōhiʻa lehua and lobelioids. It is highly susceptible to mosquito-borne avian malaria and persists mostly in cool, high-elevation forests where mosquitoes are scarce. Conservation focuses on habitat protection, predator control, and reducing disease risk.
Illustration by John Gerrard Keulemans
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Usually encountered singly or in pairs, aggressively defending rich nectar sources from other birds. Nests are cup-shaped and placed high in ʻōhiʻa, with both parents involved in care. Breeding typically occurs in the wetter months when flowers are abundant.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Loud, varied, and emphatic with scratchy notes, whistles, and buzzes. A distinctive, repeated call resembling “a-ko-he-he” or “co-hee-hee” carries through the canopy.
Plumage
Predominantly black with a shaggy, forward-swept white crest and contrasting orange-rufous shoulder and thigh patches; feathers can appear slightly glossy in good light.
Diet
Primarily consumes nectar from ʻōhiʻa lehua and native lobelioids, using its decurved bill and brush-tipped tongue. Supplements its diet with arthropods gleaned from leaves, flowers, and bark, especially when nectar is scarce. It may also take small fruits and plant juices opportunistically.
Preferred Environment
Feeds mostly in the mid to upper canopy of intact native forest where flowering is reliable. Frequently patrols flowering trees and defends nectar resources from other honeycreepers.
