The puaiohi or small Kauaʻi thrush is a rare species of songbird in the thrush family, Turdidae, that is endemic to the Hawaiian island of Kauaʻi. It is closely related to the other three endemic Hawaiian thrushes, the kāmaʻo, olomaʻo, and ʻōmaʻo. It was first collected by Henry Palmer in 1891 at Halemanu around the entrance to the Kōkeʻe State Park.
Region
Hawaiian Islands
Typical Environment
Restricted to high-elevation native rainforest on the island of Kauaʻi, especially the Alakaʻi Plateau and headwater gulches. It favors dense, wet montane forest dominated by ʻōhiʻa and koa with a lush understory of native fruiting shrubs. The species is closely tied to perennial streams and steep ravines where it forages and nests on ledges. It avoids degraded lowland forests and areas with high mosquito densities. Conservation management focuses on predator control and maintaining intact streamside habitat.
Altitude Range
1050–1350 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Also called the small Kauaʻi thrush, the puaiohi is the last surviving native thrush on Kauaʻi and a key seed disperser for native rainforest plants. It nests on steep, shaded streamside cliffs, which helps reduce predation but limits suitable habitat. Major threats include rats, habitat degradation, and mosquito-borne diseases. Intensive predator control and supplemental releases have helped stabilize the tiny population.
Temperament
secretive and wary
Flight Pattern
short, direct flights with rapid wingbeats through dense understory
Social Behavior
Typically observed singly or in pairs; monogamous during the breeding season. Nests are placed on sheltered cliff ledges or streamside banks, often well hidden by vegetation. Both parents feed nestlings, and pairs may attempt multiple broods when conditions allow.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A clear, fluted series of melodious whistles and trills, often delivered from concealed perches along ravines. Calls include soft tseep notes used for contact between mates.
Plumage
Soft gray head and breast with brownish-olive upperparts and paler gray to whitish underparts; smooth, thrush-like texture without heavy spotting.
Diet
Primarily consumes native fruits, including those of plants such as Broussaisia (kanawao), Cheirodendron (ʻōlapa), Coprosma (pilo), and other rainforest shrubs. It supplements its diet with insects and other invertebrates, especially when feeding young. By swallowing fruits whole and dispersing seeds, it plays an important role in maintaining native forest composition.
Preferred Environment
Forages along shaded stream corridors, in the understory and mid-canopy of wet montane forest. Frequently visits fruiting shrubs and gleaning sites on steep ravine walls and dense thickets.
