WatchList Species Account for Akikiki (Oreomystis bairdi)

Qualifies for the list as a Red List Species

Photo: Jack Jeffrey

Endemic to Kauai and found only in mesic to wet montane forests from 600-1,600 m in the central section of that island, the Akikiki is also called the Kauai Creeper for its creeping behavior when foraging, reminiscent of a nuthatch. It feeds mostly on insects gleaned from the bark and leaves of native trees and shrubs. Once common, it has retreated to the more remote parts of its very limited range, a matter of great concern, as it follows the pattern of other Kauai forest birds now either extinct or critically endangered. For example, the bird was once common in Koke’e State Park but has not been found there since 1981.

The bird faces the same threats that have devastated other Hawaiian birds, including loss of habitat and degradation of habitat by introduced plants, invertebrates and feral ungulates, in addition to introduced predators such as rats, cats and barn owls; the bird is presumed to suffer mortality from malaria and avian pox at elevations below 1,050 m. Found in the early 20th Century in all the island’s forests from 300-900 m, the Akikiki may be confined to its current range by disease, not habitat; in fact its current population may be relict with the drastic alterations and losses of more optimum lowland habitat. To add to this, hurricanes in 1982 and 1992 had a heavy impact on habitats for native forest birds on the island, defoliating and toppling trees and facilitating the spread of several highly invasive non-native plants.

As its range has contracted, estimates of its population have declined by 64% between surveys in 1973 and 2000; current estimates are that the population numbers no more than 1,000 birds. The most recent survey found few individuals and low densities in its range, both causes for great concern. Though classified as Endangered by BirdLife International, it has not been listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. Among the suggested measures to benefit the bird are the elimination of rats and feral cats from the area, as well as the elimination of feral goats, deer and pigs; the latter, numerous in the Alaka’i Swamp eliminates understory species and creates breeding areas for mosquitoes.

Programs for eliminating pigs have been successful elsewhere in the Hawaiian Islands and should be implemented here. Managers should be alert to the possible introduction of the brown tree snake, which devastated the native birds of Guam. Basic research on the bird is needed, as it has never been the subject of a study and it is one of the least understood of the native Hawaiian birds.