Loxops coccineus
The Hawaiʻi ʻAkepa (Loxops coccineus) is a captivating, small finch-like Hawaiian honeycreeper, immediately recognizable by its striking sexual dimorphism. Males are an arresting fiery orange, sometimes described as vermilion or flame-orange, contrasting with darker wings and tail, while females and immatures display a much duller, yellowish-green to olive plumage, with varying yellow tones on the underparts. These diminutive birds typically measure around 10 to 11 cm (4 inches) in length and...
Found exclusively in high-elevation native wet forests, primarily dominated by ʻōhiʻa (Metrosideros polymorpha) and koa (Acacia koa) trees, typically between 600 to over 2000 meters (2,000–6,600 feet) elevation.
The Hawaiʻi ʻAkepa primarily consumes arthropods, including insects and spiders, which they glean and probe from foliage and bark. They also feed on nectar from 'ōhi'a flowers and occasionally sap or resin from trees, using their specialized bill to access hidden food sources.
Hawaiʻi ʻAkepa are primarily diurnal, active from dawn to dusk, often spending their nights roosting communally or solitarily within dense foliage of native trees like ʻōhiʻa and koa. Their foraging strategy is highly specialized, involving meticulously gleaning insects and spiders from leaves, b...
Historically, the Hawaiʻi ʻAkepa was distributed across the primary native forests of four Hawaiian Islands: Hawaiʻi (Big Island), Maui, Oʻahu, and Kauaʻi. However, its range has undergone severe contraction, with the Oʻahu and Maui populations now extinct. Today, the species is restricted to two...
Critically Endangered
- The Hawaiʻi ʻAkepa possesses a uniquely adapted bill, with slightly crossed mandibles at the tip, allowing it to pry open tightly closed leaf and flower buds, much like a tiny pair of forceps, to access hidden insects. - Male Hawaiʻi ʻAkepa are among the most brilliantly colored of all Hawaiian...