A bright I’iwi

An I'iwi in a forest off Saddle Road, Hawaii
An I'iwi calls in a forest off Saddle Road, Hawaii

On my last hike on the Pu’u O’o Trail, off Saddle Road, I soon ran into a man and his son staring at a tree a short distance away. The man explained that they’d seen an i’iwi, a native Hawaiian honeycreeper, fly into the tree and were hoping to see it again. I waited with them for a while, but saw nothing and decided to move on.

A little later I ran into two men coming out of a kipuka, a cluster of old vegetation that has been bypassed by lava flows. One of them, looking pretty pleased, held out his camera and said they’d just seen an i’iwi and he’d got some good photos. He mentioned the spot where they’d seen the bird, so I headed into the trees to have a look. Nothing. It was beginning to look like it was going to be one of those days where everyone else has a wonderful experience except me!

But not long after, I saw a flash of red and then this bird settled on a branch and began to add its song to the loud chorus of bird songs in the kipuka. One thing about i’iwis is that if they’re around, they’re easy to see, their bright red plumage standing out against the green background.

After the bird flew off, I carried on with my hike. When I returned half an hour later, the bird song in the kipukas had diminished considerably and I didn’t see or hear anymore i’iwis.

Posted in response to Becky’s April Squares challenge theme of ‘Bright.’ See more responses here.

16 thoughts on “A bright I’iwi”

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    1. Graham Post author

      The beak is for feeding on native lobelia flowers, but they’re not as common as they once were. Luckily i’iwis have adapted to feed on other native flowers.

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  7. restlessjo

    He’s a bright little beauty! Patience rewarded. 🙂 🙂 We were at a bird hide yesterday and the best we managed was a black-headed weaver. Bright gold, and we are easily pleased.

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    1. Graham Post author

      I’m not really a birder so I rely on chance encounters. This was easily my best i’iwi sighting yet. But I’m also quite happy to see the everyday birds and photograph them, so I think I’d fit right in with your easily pleased birder group!

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