‘Apapane

Description

The ‘apapane is a widespread nectar-loving honeycreeper, found across much of the main Hawaiian Islands. Adults are bright crimson with dark wings and tail and prominent white undertail coverts. The head is usually brighter than the rest of the plumage. Their brush-tipped tongues may protrude, making their bill tips look white. The ʻapapaneʻs tail is characteristically cocked up. Like any good pollinator, after feeding on flower nectar, their faces are often covered in pollen giving it a yellowish cast.

Habitat and Behavior

ʻApapane are found around flowering trees, particularly ʻōhiʻa lehua. They often perch conspicuously on the outer clusters of flowers to feed on nectar with their brush-tipped tongues and assist with ʻōhiʻa pollination. They are excellent flyers and often range widely in search of nectar sources.  ‘Apapane are relatively abundant but are restricted to forested habitats and are dependent on nectar sources.  Small flocks of ‘apapane frequently fly high over forested ridges.

Past and Present

‘Apapane are the most abundant native honeycreeper in the Hawaiian Islands. They are found in montane forests above 4,100ft in elevation. ʻApapane are abundant on Kaua’i, Maui, and Hawai’i Island. They are locally common on O’ahu, but now scarce on Moloka’i and Lāna’i.

Conservation Efforts

ʻApapane are vulnerable to the same threats as other Hawaiian honeycreepers. Habitat loss, introduced diseases, and introduced predators continue to take a toll on all of Hawaiʻiʻs native forest birds. In recent years, detections of ʻapapane in low-elevation forests suggest that this species may be developing some resistance to avian malaria.