Kauai Elepaio

Overview

The Kauaʻi ʻelepaio (Chasiempis sclateri) is a monarch flycatcher endemic to the Hawaiian Island of Kauaʻi. Classified as Near Threatened, the species experienced a significant decline in the 1990s but currently shows signs of population recovery on the Alakai plateau.

Identification

• Adults possess grey heads and backs, a white supercilium, a rusty-red breast, and a white underside.
• Young birds appear uniformly rusty above and white below, lacking the white stippling on wings seen in other subspecies.

Habitat

This bird is restricted to the Hawaiian Island of Kauaʻi, with a noted increase in population density on the Alakai plateau.

Did you know?

The Kauaʻi ʻelepaio was formerly considered a subspecies of the Hawaii ʻelepaio before being reclassified as a separate species in 2010.