Kim's Creature Feature
Hawaii's unique creatures by Cindy Pacheco
'I'iwi September 2008
- Hawaiian Name: 'i'iwi
- Scientific Name: Vestiaria coccinea
Distribution/Habitat: Once widely distributed on all islands, the ‘i’iwi are highly susceptible to avian pox and malaria and are now mostly found in ‘ohi’a and koa forests above the ’mosquito zone’, on Hawai’i, Maui and Kaua’i.
Diet: Primarily nectarivorous on ‘ohi’a & mamane; also feeds on insects & spiders.
Vocalization: Calls are loud and squeaky; song described as a “rusty hinge”. Hawaiian name possibly onomatopoeic.
In flight, the ‘I’iwi wings produce a distinctive whirring noise.
Find it on our tours:
