'I'iwi

Endemic Hawaiian Honeycreeper. Thanks for your comments.

What a wonderfully unique bird! Great capture. I have never seen anything quite like this.

They are only found in the Hawaiian islands. There are many species of honeycreepers that all evolved here from one finch-like species that managed to find it's way to the middle of the Pacific a few million years ago. They are the Hawaiian version of Darwin's finches in the Galapagos. Many have gone extinct and others are now highly endangered. The 'I'iwi is probably the most spectacular in appearance. They are doing ok on Maui, Kauai and the Big Island but are exceedingly rare on Oahu. On all the islands they are only found in the mountains where they are safe from the mosquito-borne avian malaria that has wiped them out at lower elevations.

Thanks for the history. It makes the photo even more special. You are lucky to be able to see such a wonderful specimin.