Paroreomyza flammea
The Kakawahie (*Paroreomyza flammea*), an iconic, though tragically extinct, Hawaiian honeycreeper, was a vibrant gem of Molokaʻi's montane forests. Males were unmistakable, boasting a brilliant, fiery orange-red plumage across the head, back, and breast, transitioning to a yellowish wash on the belly, contrasted with blackish wings and tail. Females and immatures exhibited more subdued olive-green upperparts and yellowish underparts, still distinct among forest birds. Measuring approximately...
The Kakawahie historically inhabited the dense, high-elevation montane wet forests of Molokaʻi, typically found above 600 meters (2,000 feet) where native tree species predominated.
The Kakawahie was primarily insectivorous, feeding on a diverse array of insects, spiders, and their larvae gleaned from tree bark and foliage. It occasionally supplemented its diet with nectar.
Active during the day, the Kakawahie was a restless and agile forager, moving rapidly through the canopy and subcanopy. It employed a distinctive foraging strategy, meticulously probing bark crevices, mosses, and lichens on tree trunks and branches for insects and spiders, often hanging upside do...
The Kakawahie was strictly endemic to the island of Molokaʻi within the Hawaiian archipelago, never recorded from any other location. Its historical distribution was confined to the high-elevation native montane wet forests of eastern Molokaʻi, primarily within what is now the Kamakou Preserve ar...
Extinct
- The name "Kakawahie" is Hawaiian for "fire-producing" or "firewood-splitting," likely referring to the male's brilliant fiery-red plumage or its active foraging style. - It was one of only three species in its genus, *Paroreomyza*, with its closest relatives being the Maui Alauahio (*P. montana...