Birds of the National Parks in Hawaii

by William W. Dunmire

PARK DISTRIBUTION: Kilauea—Moderately common in the wet ohia forest, especially along the Crater Rim Trail between Park Headquarters and Thurston Lava Tube. Uncommon on lava flows between 7,000 and 9,200 feet elevation—to be seen along the Mauna Loa trail. Haleakala—Absent from Maui.

VOICE: Any one of several buzzing notes, a medium pitched eéau, or prueeé, or a low throaty whuaaá are likely to be heard before the song. These notes may be interspersed and are often repeated many times with a few seconds interval. The song is a rapid, erratic whistled phrase, having the loud fluty quality of other thrushes.

This strange thrush lives in two contrasting habitats within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. In the dense forest you will usually find it singing from its perch part way up an ohia or other tree. But there may be no trees in sight at its other locality which is among the barren lava flows on Mauna Loa. However, there will always be berry bushes nearby—ohelo, pukeawe, or kukaenene; and insects also comprise a part of the diet. The lava flow birds establish day-time roosts on the higher rocks and remain at these sites for long periods, judging from the accumulation of droppings. Old perch sites stand out clearly on a flow, for a yellow-green lichen colors the top of whatever rocks have been plastered with omao droppings.

Ohelo—favorite food of the omao

The nesting sites for these birds have remained an enigma until recently. Now it is known that birds living on the flows will build their nests on ledges within deep horizontal lava cracks, especially in collapsed lava tubes, while the forest birds are said to nest in trees.

ELEPAIO Chasiempsis sandwichensis

ELEPAIO

DESCRIPTION: 5½″. A brownish flycatcher with variegated black, white, and gray markings. The dark bill is short (½ inch) and nearly straight. The female has less black on the breast and throat, while immatures, generally more brown, have a reddish instead of a white ruff around the vent. Its friendly wrenlike actions combined with the above make it unmistakable.