Hawaiian Honeycreepers

Hawaiian honeycreeper is any member of a family of about 20 species of sparrow-sized birds that live only in Hawaii. They get their name from the way honeycreepers creep, or flutter, about when searching in flowers for insects or nectar.

Originally, there was one species of honeycreeper. The birds wandered to Hawaii or were blown there by a storm. Over time, this species evolved into many species, each with its own feeding habits. Some honeycreepers have a long curved bill that helps them find food in flowers. Others have a heavy bill for crushing seeds. A third type feeds like a woodpecker, using its strong bill to chisel away tree bark in search of insects.

When Europeans settled to Hawaii in the late 1700's and early 1800's, they brought cats, rats, mosquitoes, and other animals. Some of these animal hunted honeycreepers, and others destroyed much of the forested areas where honeycreepers lived. The mosquitoes carried bird malaria that killed many honeycreepers. About a third of the species of honeycreepers became extinct.

In 1973, two students from the University of Hawaii found a previously unknown species of honeycreeper. This small brown and beige bird was the first bird species discovered in the Hawaiian Islands since 1893.

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