FEBRUARY 2021 | PD.

THE
HONEYCREEPER
A peak into my life as a Hawaiʻi ʻAmakihi

More coming from The

Honeycreeper
Check out next week's journal;
The biography of the 'Apapane

I love 'Ohi'a
I am a Hemignathus virens, or better known as an
'Amakihi; a Hawaiian honeycreeper! My species population
is between 800,000 - 900,00. I am yellowish green but my
male counterpart is a bright yellow. You can see me on the
Big Island, Maui, and Molokai. I hang out in the native
flowers!
forests and dry shrublands from sea level to the subalpine
zone. You'll spot me drinking nectar from fruits and flowers
or munching on insects, which my beak is specifically
designed to do.

Other honeycreeper species are critically endangered but

my species has a stable population, we're quite common
on Molokai. I currently live in low elevation, specifically
between sea level and 9,500 feet, areas where there are
mosquitoes and diseases. I have adapted to resist Avian
malaria and Avian pox. Warmer weather, due to climate
change, has caused mosquitos to move into higher
elevations; affecting my fellow honeycreepers who have
zero tolerance to the bugs and diseases.
 FEBRUARY 2021 | PD. 3

My Ancestry and Adaptation Even though my species

population is thriving, we are
still vulnerable to extinction.
How did genetic drift affect my life? Feral cats, mongoose, and rats -
which were brought to Hawaii
and are not native - are a great
Between 7.2 and 5.8 billion years ago the Cardueline Finches,
threat to me and my friends.
the founder species of all Hawaiian honeycreepers, including
me, flew or were blown away from the original population to
What could help my species
the Hawaiian Islands. My ancestors were spread throughout
survive and thrive? Keeping out
Hawaii's unique geology. These small islands soon came to be
non-native plants and animals
overspread with the finches; one reason being the lack of
would make my home a safe
predators.
place. Having a clean habitat
would help my kind flourish and
increase our population.

Considering I don't live higher up

like most honeycreepers, I would
say my home has changed the
most. I often fly through
neighborhoods and places
populated with humans. I also
occasionally run into dogs or
loud traffic. If there were more
reserves for honeycreepers like
me we could live a more
peaceful life. Spreading
awareness is also very important
to me!

As the finches, my ancestors, population density continued to

increase, the fight for food became greater. Some finches whose
traits filled specific niches better began to change their diet in
order to survive. For example, finches with sharper beaks were
able to peck at insects and eat them as a food source. Groups
began to form and soon my ancestors were easier to
differentiate. Speciation took its course and now there were over
50 species of honeycreepers, including the Hawaii 'Amakihi!

I have adapted a beak that better helps me drink nectar but I

can not crush seeds like a Nihao Finch can. As an adult
'Amakihi, I weigh .47 oz, and a grown Akiapola'au weighs .99 oz.
Although the two other birds are also honeycreepers, we are all
quite different from one another. Due to resource competition,
the Cardueline Finches experienced and were affected by
disruptive selection. This shows how the founder effect can lead
to adaptive radiation in a diverse ecosystem. My fellow
Hawaiian honeycreepers and I share a strong pilina or
connection with one another through our unique ancestry and
story.
 Works Cited
Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project. 2018. HAWAI‘I ‘AMAKIHI. Retrieved March 01, 2021.
https://mauiforestbirds.org/hawaii-amakihi/
American Bird Conservancy. January 17, 2019. Meet Hawai'i 'Amakihi, one of the state's most adaptable honeycreepers.
Retrieved March 01, 2021.
https://abcbirds.org/bird/hawaii-amakihi/