Part 2

DESCRIPTION: 9½″-10½″. The distinctive _curved head plume_ identifies this plump quail. Males have a black and white face pattern beneath the brown crown, while females are duller and lack the striking facial pattern. The bill is short and black.

PARK DISTRIBUTION: Introduced from California before 1855 to all major islands. Kilauea—Moderately common along the Mauna Loa Strip and south and west of Kilauea Crater, for example Kipuka Nene. Haleakala—Fairly common on slopes outside the crater up to about 8,000 feet.

VOICE: Both sexes issue a three noted _ka-kér-ko_, also clucking notes _tek-tek_, etc.

Although the California quail has been in the islands for a long time, it has not spread much in the park, probably because there is no available open water. In this situation the birds must rely on dewfall, berries, or succulent vegetation for their moisture requirements. They shun heavy forests and do best where small grassy openings are interspersed with dense brush thickets.

CHUKAR _Alectoris graeca_

DESCRIPTION: 15″. A heavy ground dwelling partridge, brownish with buffy, black, and rusty markings. A black band extends through each eye and joins the lower throat. Distinguished from the quail by lighter color, lack of a head plume, and a red-orange bill.

PARK DISTRIBUTION: Introduced on Hawaii in 1949, on Maui in 1953. Kilauea—Occasional on the slopes of Mauna Loa, descending as far as the rim of Kilauea Crater. Haleakala—Common in open lava slopes inside and out of the crater but especially along the drive to the summit.

VOICE: Chickenlike cackles and clucks, sometimes quite loud.

They are well camouflaged to blend with Hawaii’s gray lava and are not usually seen until one or more flushes from an open or even bare slope. Then they will fly downslope, sometimes for hundreds of yards, land, and again merge invisibly with the somber background.

During the breeding season in late spring and summer the birds pair up; at other times of the year you may encounter coveys of a dozen or more.

RING-NECKED PHEASANT _Phasianus colchicus torquatus_ (also Chinese pheasant)

DESCRIPTION: Male 33″-36″; female 20″. _Male_: A rich chestnut-brown bird with a conspicuous _white collar_ at the base of a dark green neck, and an extremely long pointed tail. Hybridizes freely with the Japanese blue pheasant, producing various combinations of ring-necked and blue plumage. _Female_: Dull brown with a shorter tail than the male, similar to the Japanese blue hen.

PARK DISTRIBUTION: Introduced from China about 1865, now widely distributed on all main islands. Kilauea—Pure ring-necks are quite rare but Japanese blue hybrids are not uncommon in grassy openings, especially along the Mauna Loa Strip road. Haleakala—One of the most common birds of the park, both inside and out of the crater.

VOICE: The cocks crow throughout the breeding season (January-July) with a violent staccato _koor-káck_.

Optimum pheasant habitat is large open grassy areas interspersed with brush cover, and since this condition prevails on the slopes of Haleakala and along the Mauna Loa Strip road, these birds are found in both sections of the park. Your first view of one will likely be when it flushes out with a great flurry of wingbeats alongside a road or trail in these grasslands. Family broods with as many as 10 chicks may be seen from April through August.

JAPANESE BLUE PHEASANT _Phasianus colchicus versicolor_ (also versicolor or green pheasant)

DESCRIPTION: Male about 27″, female 20″. _Male_: Has a blue-green back, iridescent green or purple breast, and long tail feathers. Appears darker than the ring-necked pheasant and lacks the white collar. _Female_: Brownish birds with long tails, indistinguishable from the ring-necked hen.

PARK DISTRIBUTION: Introduced from Japan prior to 1900. Has lost its identity on most islands due to hybridization with the ring-neck. Kilauea—The park includes perhaps the best habitat in the islands for this species. Pure Japanese blue males are common along the Mauna Loa Strip road and occasional on the Chain of Craters road or the Crater Rim drive and to the west. Hybrids will also be seen. Haleakala—Nearly all are ring-necked pheasants here.

VOICE: The cock-crow is similar to that of the ring-neck, but somewhat higher in pitch.

This species has adapted to the moist open-forest and grassland, while the ring-neck prefers drier areas. Blues seem to have established a niche on the southern slopes of Mauna Loa between 4,000 and 7,000 feet elevation where mists are frequent, sometimes for days at a time.

KEY TO PLATE

AMAKIHI APAPANE IIWI (male) (immature and adult)

OU WHITE-EYE RED-BILLED LEIOTHRIX (male)

ELEPAIO RICEBIRD HOUSE FINCH (female and male)

OMAO SKYLARK

MYNAH CARDINAL (female and male)

AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER _Pluvialis dominica_ (Hawaiian name—kolea)

DESCRIPTION: 10″-11″. A medium sized shore bird with a straight, inch-long bill. _Winter plumage_—mottled brown spotted with gold; buffy breast. _Summer plumage_—striking pattern; back spotted with gold, black undersides, and a white band over the forehead and down the sides of the neck and breast. Plovers don their summer colors in April or May before migration and may still retain them when they return in early August. The only shore bird likely to be seen in the interior of either park.

PARK DISTRIBUTION: Winter migrant to the islands. Kilauea—Fairly common locally from August to June. To be seen around Park Headquarters and on the west side of Kilauea Crater or along the Mauna Loa Strip. Haleakala—Common from August to June in open areas both inside and out of the crater.

VOICE: A clear whistle _queep_, or _quee-leép_, etc., usually uttered as the bird is flushed.

Like other migrants to Hawaii, golden plovers make a 2,000-mile (one way) flight to and from their breeding grounds in Alaska or Siberia each year. The trip requires about 48 hours, spent mostly over the open ocean. When they arrive in Hawaii in the fall, individuals seem to establish remarkably small territories—one bird may live during its entire stay here in an area not much bigger than a large lawn. Here they will feed on insects and berries until it is time for the annual migration to the north.

RUDDY TURNSTONE _Arenaria interpres_ (Hawaiian name—akekeke)

DESCRIPTION: 9″. A chunky, medium sized shore bird with flashy black, white, and russet-red markings and short orange legs. The contrasty black and white pattern shows best in flight.

PARK DISTRIBUTION: Winter migrant to islands. Kilauea—Except for summer, when they have migrated to Alaska, flocks are often found at rocky beach areas around Halape, but they are uncommon elsewhere along the rugged coast within park boundaries. Large flocks were formerly recorded inland as far as Kilauea Crater. Haleakala—Absent from the park.

VOICE: A rapidly repeated _chut-a-chut_.

A flock of 8 or 10 turnstones will behave almost as though it was controlled by one mind: in flight they dip and turn precisely together; when they land it is a simultaneous action. The name turnstone comes from their habit of flipping over small rocks with their bills to get at the insects and other lower forms of life beneath.

WANDERING TATTLER _Heteroscelus incanum_ (Hawaiian name—ulili)

DESCRIPTION: 11″. A large sandpiper with _uniformly dark gray_ upper parts and a long (1½ inches) straight bill. The belly is lighter, and there is an indistinct white line over the eye. The long legs and the feet are yellow.

PARK DISTRIBUTION: Winter migrant to islands. Kilauea—Uncommon along the southern rocky shoreline. Absent in summer when it migrates to Alaska. Haleakala—Absent from the park.

VOICE: A high clear _whee-we-we-we_ usually uttered as the bird takes flight.

Individuals feed on crabs and other marine life among the rocks. They never appear inland in the park.

WHITE-CAPPED NODDY _Anoüs tenuirostris_ (Hawaiian name—noio)

DESCRIPTION: 14″. A dark gray tern restricted to the rocky coastline. The forehead and crown are lighter gray than the rest of the body.

PARK DISTRIBUTION: The only common bird to be seen flying just off shore. In the park, restricted to the coastline of the Kilauea Section.

Look for these along the ocean at the Kalapana end of the park. They flutter over the water picking up small fish, but usually they stay close to shore. The noddies nest in sea cliffs and caves in this area.

SPOTTED DOVE _Streptopelia chinensis_ (also laceneck or Chinese dove)

DESCRIPTION: 12″. A gray-brown dove with a long rounded tail showing white in the corners, and a broad _collar of black with white spots_ on the neck.

PARK DISTRIBUTION: Introduced before 1900; now common below 4,000 feet on all islands. Kilauea—Fairly common around the crater and at lower elevations such as on the Chain of Craters and Hilina Pali roads. Haleakala—Absent from the park.

VOICE: Typical dove-like coos; often _coo-coó-coo_.

Like the barred dove, this species does not much penetrate the native rain forest, but rather seems restricted to areas where man has altered the vegetation. Both species feed on seeds and some fruit.

BARRED DOVE _Geopelia striata_

DESCRIPTION: 8″-9″. Much smaller than the spotted dove and lacks the lacy white neck. Has white outer tail feathers.

PARK DISTRIBUTION: Introduced to the islands in 1922; still spreading on the island of Hawaii since its arrival here in 1935 from Asia. Kilauea—Rare—at elevations below 3,000 feet. Haleakala—Absent from the park.

VOICE: A rapid ringing phrase, higher pitched and faster than for the spotted dove, often _wheeédle-de-wer_.

The range for this dove on Hawaii is continuing to increase. It is now abundant along the Kona coast and has spread in both directions around the island. Look for it within the park on the Hilina Pali road or on the Kalapana road.

PUEO _Asio flammeus_ (also Hawaiian short-eared owl)

DESCRIPTION: 14″-15″. A medium-sized owl of buffy brown color and with small ear tufts. In flight it appears big-headed and neckless compared to the io.

PARK DISTRIBUTION: Kilauea—Occasional around the crater and in grassy areas on the Mauna Loa Strip. Haleakala—Occasional near meadows inside the crater such as at Paliku; also on the lower slopes, especially just below Park Headquarters. They are frequently seen on the drive up to the park.

VOICE: Rarely heard muffled barking sounds.

You may be surprised to see an owl soaring hawklike over grassy openings in full daylight. However, this Hawaiian race of the mainland short-eared owl is often diurnal. It will hover over one spot until a mouse or rat ventures out into the open, then with a swoop the pueo captures its meal.

SKYLARK _Alauda arvensis_

DESCRIPTION: 7″. A nondescript buffy, streaked bird with _white outer tail feathers_ found only in open country. The head may appear crested.

PARK DISTRIBUTION: Introduced early to most of the islands. Kilauea—Fairly common in open grassy places, for example on the floor of Kilauea Crater or along the Mauna Loa Strip. Haleakala—Fairly common both inside and out of the crater.

VOICE: Look to the sky when you hear an exceedingly long, high-pitched rolling song. The skylark sings while on the wing and its beautiful music may last for a minute or longer.

Certainly the most remarkable thing about this bird is its song—which it delivers while hovering sometimes hundreds of feet in the air. Just when you think that the lofty music must end, a skylark will change to a new series of phrases and keep this up for another minute or so. Skylarks feed and nest on the ground. Nests attributed to skylarks made entirely of “Pele’s hair” have been found in the Kilauea area. “Pele’s hair” is spun volcanic glass formed during an eruption—a strange material indeed for the construction of a bird’s nest.

CHINESE THRUSH _Trochalopterum canorum_ (also spectacled thrush)

DESCRIPTION: 9″. In the dense wet forests a large, reddish-brown bird with _broad white “eye spectacles”_ can only be this species. The white band around each eye extends backward to the ear. You will probably hear this bird before seeing it.

PARK DISTRIBUTION: Introduced at the turn of the century. Now on all major islands. Kilauea—Occasional in the wet ohia forest such as around Park Headquarters. Haleakala—Absent from the park.

VOICE: A mockingbird-like series of sustained musical and harsh notes that carries for a great distance. The rich phrases may be repeated several times before a new pattern is given.

These secretive birds seem to make a vertical migration to Kilauea from the east each summer. They are rarely observed in the park during winter months, but that may be due to their lack of song in the non-breeding season. In summer you will probably hear several before seeing even one, as they are wary and keep to the underbrush, moving about very little.

RED-BILLED LEIOTHRIX _Leiothrix lutea_ (also Japanese hill robin or Peking nightingale)

DESCRIPTION: 5½″. One of the easiest to identify: An olive-green bird with contrasting red and yellow markings and a _bright red-orange bill_. The back is olive-green, throat lemon-yellow shading to red-orange in the breast, and the wing varied with yellow, orange, crimson, and black. Immatures are not as bright, but have the same general markings.

PARK DISTRIBUTION: Introduced to the islands from Asia mainly in the twenties. Kilauea—Very common throughout vegetated areas. Haleakala—Fairly common in areas of dense vegetation such as Paliku.

VOICE: No wonder these birds are sometimes called “robins”, for their robinlike warbled song fills the air in spring and summer. If you approach they will often begin their excited noisy call notes, a rapid _bzzt-bzzt-bzzt_, etc., which will usually continue for some time as the birds nervously flit about the underbrush. Another common note, usually heard from a distance, is a sharp _wheek-wheek-wheek_ made up of 3-8 notes.

The leiothrix is strictly a bird of the undergrowth and you are likely to find it wherever there is plenty of bush cover in moist forested areas. Mamake, a Hawaiian nettle, is one of its favorite haunts. If one bird is seen, there are probably several others nearby, and flocks of a dozen or more are common in fall and winter. Fruit, seeds, and insects comprise the food.

These birds have strange migration habits. In the fall and early winter large flocks may suddenly appear at the summit of Haleakala where they stay a short time and then return to lower areas. On Hawaii flocks have been recorded at above 13,000 feet on Mauna Loa during this season, but they are reduced by deaths caused by exposure and starvation on the barren slopes if they do not descend soon.

Although today the leiothrix is one of the best loved birds on the islands, its introduction here may have been unfortunate. It is known to be a carrier of bird malaria, a disease that has probably contributed to the continuing decline of native Hawaiian honeycreepers.

MOCKINGBIRD _Mimus polyglottos_

DESCRIPTION: 10″-11″. A slender, gray and white bird with _large white wing patches_ and white outer tail feathers.

PARK DISTRIBUTION: Introduced since 1928 on Oahu and Maui. Kilauea—Birds, apparently migrants from Maui, were seen in the northern part of the island in 1959; however, none have yet reached the park (1961). Haleakala—Occasional on slopes below the summit; rare inside Haleakala Crater. Probably still increasing its range within the park.

VOICE: The song is a brilliant series of phrases often repeated like the Chinese thrush but more varied. One note is an emphatic _thack_.

You are most likely to see mockingbirds along the lower slopes of Haleakala during your drive up to the crater. Park Headquarters is about the upper limit for these birds on Maui. The food consists of insects, fruit, and occasionally greens.

OMAO _Phaeornis obscura_ (also Hawaiian thrush)

DESCRIPTION: 7″. Usually heard first, then seen if you are patient, for it often remains motionless. A medium sized gray-brown thrush with no distinct markings. Only similar species is the Chinese thrush which is larger, more reddish brown, and has white markings around the eye.

PARK DISTRIBUTION: Kilauea—Moderately common in the wet ohia forest, especially along the Crater Rim Trail between Park Headquarters and Thurston Lava Tube. Uncommon on lava flows between 7,000 and 9,200 feet elevation—to be seen along the Mauna Loa trail. Haleakala—Absent from Maui.

VOICE: Any one of several buzzing notes, a medium pitched _eéau_, or _prueeé_, or a low throaty _whuaaá_ are likely to be heard before the song. These notes may be interspersed and are often repeated many times with a few seconds interval. The song is a rapid, erratic whistled phrase, having the loud fluty quality of other thrushes.

This strange thrush lives in two contrasting habitats within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. In the dense forest you will usually find it singing from its perch part way up an ohia or other tree. But there may be no trees in sight at its other locality which is among the barren lava flows on Mauna Loa. However, there will always be berry bushes nearby—ohelo, pukeawe, or kukaenene; and insects also comprise a part of the diet. The lava flow birds establish day-time roosts on the higher rocks and remain at these sites for long periods, judging from the accumulation of droppings. Old perch sites stand out clearly on a flow, for a yellow-green lichen colors the top of whatever rocks have been plastered with omao droppings.

The nesting sites for these birds have remained an enigma until recently. Now it is known that birds living on the flows will build their nests on ledges within deep horizontal lava cracks, especially in collapsed lava tubes, while the forest birds are said to nest in trees.

ELEPAIO _Chasiempsis sandwichensis_

DESCRIPTION: 5½″. A brownish flycatcher with variegated black, white, and gray markings. The dark bill is short (½ inch) and nearly straight. The female has less black on the breast and throat, while immatures, generally more brown, have a reddish instead of a white ruff around the vent. Its friendly wrenlike actions combined with the above make it unmistakable.

PARK DISTRIBUTION: Kilauea—Common in the more heavily vegetated areas around Kilauea Crater and to the east. Look for it at Kipuka Puaulu. Haleakala—Absent from Maui.

VOICE: A variety of short songs or calls. One is like a “wolf whistle”, a clear _wheé-oo_ (or _elepaí-o_). Another is a nasal _yeékik_. A single _wheek_ as well as short nasal chirps are also common.

The elepaio is probably the friendliest of our native birds. It is easily overlooked, since it usually remains fairly quiet when you first approach, but if you pause for a few moments in the wet fern jungle, one or more of these birds are likely to appear. They seem very inquisitive as they hop about in the low underbrush, often within a few feet of an observer, and they cock their tails high whenever they alight. Like the omao these birds often push their wings forward with a rapid shivering motion when confronted by people, probably a type of aggressive action.

Being a member of the Old World flycatcher family, the elepaio is adapted to an insect diet which it gleans from the tree tops to the ground, but mostly in the understory. It often feeds like a creeper, carefully working up or down the trunk of an ohia in search of insect life. There seem to be no seasonal movements; individuals or family groups of two to four birds apparently remain in the same general area throughout the year.

MYNAH _Acridotheres tristis_

DESCRIPTION: 9″. No other bird like it. Black, brown, and white with yellow bill, feet, and skin around the eye; above all noisy. Large white wing patches are conspicuous in flight.

PARK DISTRIBUTION: Introduced from India in 1865. Kilauea—Common at Park Headquarters, around other human habitations, and to the south especially around Hilina Pali. Occasional in the Kau Desert. Haleakala—A few live around the Park Headquarters area in the summer months but they descend to lower elevations in winter.

VOICE: A raucous mixture of squawks, mews, and chirrs not likely to be mistaken for any other bird.

For a bird that prefers to live around human habitations, the mynah is extremely wary of people—probably with good reason, for among the imported birds the mynah has never been particularly well loved. Yet it is at least partly beneficial since it often feeds on agricultural insect pests. “Mynah bird” has become a favorite Hawaiian expression for anyone who chatters endlessly.

WHITE-EYE _Zosterops palpibrosus_ (also mejiro)

DESCRIPTION: 4½″. A tiny yellow-green bird with a distinct _white eye-ring_. Its back and wings are green, the throat yellow, and under parts gray; the bill is thin and straight. Only other common small green bird is the amakihi, which has no white around the eyes. Immatures are duller, and the eye-ring, although present, is less distinct.

PARK DISTRIBUTION: Introduced from Japan in 1929. Now widely established on all islands. Kilauea—Common almost everywhere in the park. Haleakala—Fairly common throughout the park, except at the highest elevations or in the barren portions of the crater.

VOICE: A thin, high-pitched song a bit like that of the house finch, but much higher and not as loud. Note: a high _tsee_ or _chee_ given repeatedly.

You will hear a rapid chittering of high notes as a flock of three or four white-eyes fly into the nearby shrubbery. Notice how quickly they work over the foliage and limbs gleaning tiny insects. They continue to utter their notes as they feed, but soon one by one they are off again to new vegetation.

The pattern of population increase for the white-eye has paralleled that of many exotic species. Following their introduction in 1929 the birds were at first slow to increase their range, but in more recent years a population explosion has taken place ... on the Island of Hawaii, at least. It is presently the commonest bird on the island and it seems to have adapted to nearly every habitat. There is every indication that the white-eye, competing for insects with native Hawaiian birds such as the Hawaiian creeper, has virtually eliminated some of the natives from their former habitat.

AMAKIHI _Loxops virens_

DESCRIPTION: 4½″. Yellow-green with no outstanding markings, and a dark slightly downcurved bill. The male is bright green above with a yellowish breast, while the female and immatures are duller, tending toward gray-green. It is a real problem to distinguish between a female or young amakihi and the very rare Hawaiian creeper (next bird).

PARK DISTRIBUTION: Kilauea—Very common on the slopes of Mauna Loa around tree-line (for example along the Mauna Loa trail); less common in the wet ohia forests around Kilauea Crater and along the Chain of Craters road. Haleakala—Common in the open forests such as Hosmer Grove and Paliku.