Thought to have settled in shortly after the first Polynesians came to Hawaiâi, which may have been around 300 A.D., brown-feathered pueo has flown its own course ever since. It is considered endemic, found only in the islands, as a subspecies to the ubiquitous short-eared owl. Polynesians brought with them the islandsâ first rats, which has le...
A cosmopolitan amid Hawaiiâs birds, standing tall and graceful, the white-plumaged cattle egret has been recorded in Iceland, Belgium, and Egypt. Native to Africa and Asia, itâs established on all the continents except for Antarctica. And all this travel has occurred by the power of its own flight. Young herons have been found well over 3,000 m...
Listen for the clear and varied song of this passerine bird, because you may not easily see it. Shy, it isnât easily approached. Just 8 to 9.5 inches in size, with fairly plain rusty-brown plumage marked by darker streaks, it doesnât stand out until you hear its beautiful, repetitive call. Hwamei does have one distinct feature, though, a white ...
Wisps of smoke-gray, pale-brown, and soft yellow intersect the dusky-green plumage of the Japanese white-eye. The clear, light voice of this small perching bird seldom sings alone. Mejiro (the Japanese word means âwhite-eyeâ and refers to the white ring around the eyes) is a sociable creature, and forages in teams. Itâs a charming little thin...
A flash of glossy indigo. Vermillion-rimmed eyes. A streak of drab, rustling in the brush grass, a short, clumsy flight to a nearby shrub. You may just have seen or heard a black-plumaged male or brown-feathered female kalij. Theyâre chubby birds, about two to three feet in size....
Among the most endangered birds in the world are the native birds of Hawaii. Amid them soars the graceful io, the Hawaiian hawk, once a powerful symbol of Hawaiian royalty. Although the islands were once home to eagles, harriers, and several other hawks, only io managed to survive among birds of prey. You may have seen it diving from the sky, focus...
With exquisite fragrance in the blossoms, glorious spice in the roots, and multiple powers as medicine, gingers have been favorite plants for millennia, worldwide. Comprising perennial herbs packed with aromatic oils, the overall ginger family (Zingiberaceae) is large and complex. Counting an estimated 700 to 1000 species, gingerâs myriad nuances...
Once the predominant tree in the natural forests of Halawa, at home in the islands long before Hawaiian settlers arrived, strong ohia with its graceful blossoms named lehua has been a source of inspiration for ancient legends and poetry. The Hawaiians noted that this botanical species had a remarkable capability to adapt to its environment. In one ...
Native to the tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas, the genus Psidium or guava belongs to the vast eucalyptus family, and comprises at least 100 species. Bishop Museumâs A Tropical Garden Flora (2005) lists six species for Hawaiâi in its index. Thatâs plenty, though. Pretty plants with smooth, copper-colored bark, evergreen leaves...
Related to gardenia, coffee (coffee arabica) shows it intrinsic beauty especially when in bloom with sweet and fragrant white flowers, or when its branches bow under the weight of vermilion cherry clusters. Coffee plants first came to the islands in 1813, when the Spaniard Don Francisco de Paula Marin introduced them as ornamentals to the ...
Shimmery leaves, silvery-pale green foliage dancing in the wind. Or else you catch a glimpse as you zip through the Halawa forest canopy, a peaceful play of light like a song. These are the ways that Hawaiiâs beloved kukui tree reveals itself. A member of the spurge family, kukui became the State Tree of Hawaii in 1959, embodying in its varied us...
Native to the Moluccas, New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands, this whitish-barked tree with fern-like foliage was introduced to Hawaii by botanist J. F. Rock in 1917. Fast growing, reaching heights of over 100 feet and aesthetically distinctive,...
