‘I’iwi

Scientific Name: Vestiaria coccinea

Distribution/Habitat: Once widely distributed on all islands, the ‘i’iwii 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’iwii wings produce a distinctive whirring noise.