Akikiki

Overview

The ʻakikiki, also known as the Kauaʻi creeper, is a critically endangered Hawaiian honeycreeper endemic to the island of Kauaʻi and is the sole member of the genus Oreomystis. As of 2023, it is considered the most endangered extant Hawaiian bird, with only five wild individuals remaining after the last known wild bird, Pakele, was last seen in August 2025.

Identification

• Small stocky bird, 13 cm in length and 12–17 g in mass, with a notably short tail.
• Plumage is grey above and white below, with pink legs and bill; not sexually dimorphic.
• Adults may retain a pale eyebrow for several years, while juveniles possess large white eye rings.
• Vocalisations include a short 'weet' or 'whit' contact call, a descending trill during the breeding season, and a stuttering series of 'chits' from juveniles.

Habitat

Currently restricted to the highest elevation native rainforests within Kokeʻe State Park and the Alakaʻi Wilderness Preserve on Kauaʻi. Subfossil evidence suggests the species once inhabited a much wider range, extending down to sea level and including dry forest habitats.

Diet

Feeds primarily on arthropods, foraging by hopping along the trunks and branches of both live and dead trees in a manner comparable to North American nuthatches. Foraging activity often takes place in pairs, family groups, or mixed-species flocks.

Did you know?

In 2015, a high-school teacher from India successfully proposed that the International Astronomical Union name a celestial body after the bird, leading to asteroid 7613 being officially designated 7613 ʻAkikiki.