This Week in Nature - The 2nd Week in March - Palila

What's Happening in Hawaii

During the 2nd Week in March:

The palila (Loxioides bailleui), now beginning its breeding season, is another of the Hawaiian honeycreepers but differs conspicuously from the 'apapane and the 'ākohekohe. Male and female palila are similar, having a yellow head and breast, greenish wings and tail, a gray back, and white underparts. Males have a black mask, and females have less yellow on the back of their heads and a gray mask.

Apart from color, the most visible difference between palila and the other honecreepers is in beak shape, with the palila adapted for eating seeds and insects rather than for drinking nectar.

Palila feed primarily on pods of the māmane tree, holding them down with one or both feet while opening them and digging out seeds. Approximately 90 percent of the palila’s diet consists of immature māmane seeds; the remainder consists of māmane flowers, buds, leaves, and naio (Myoporum sandwicense) berries.

Dependent on māmane as their main food source, palila today are confined to the mixed māmane-naio forest of upper Mauna Kea and are endangered by mouflon sheep's destruction of this habitat. The forest has been reduced to a tenth of its former size, and its future remains uncertain.

The Palila is a sociable bird, and has a sweet voice and varied repertoire, including one song similar to the canary's.

To learn more about Palila, visit the Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy (CWCS) Palila Fact Sheet here.

Image and text from "Hawaii: A Calendar of Natural Events"

published by Bishop Museum and Kamehameha Schools in 1989.

This Week in Nature - The 1st Week of March - Nana

What's Happening in Hawaii

During the First Week of March (Nana):

The beginning of the hot season is still two months off, but the weather has started to shift. Winter storms and surf are subsiding, and as the Hawaiian writer Kepelino observed, in Nana the leaves on the trees are no longer bruised by hard, driving rains.

A Hawaiian proverb also marks Nana as a month when pāpa'i (crabs) are fat. The nature of this "fatness" is not indicated, but the proverb probably refers to the presence of eggs on the underside of female pāpa'i. This phenomenon, known as berrying, reaches its heaight about this time, prior to heavy spawning that occurs in spring and summer.

Images and text from "Hawaii: A Calendar of Natural Events"

published by Bishop Museum and Kamehameha Schools in 1989.

This Week in Nature: The 4th Week in February - Laysan Albatross

What's Happening in Hawaii

during the 4th week in February:

Newly hatched Laysan albatross chick at Kaena Point NAR, O'ahu

Chicks of the Laysan albatross (Diomedea immutabilis), known to the Hawaiians as mōlī or ka'upu, are starting to hatch.

Above: A juvenile Laysan albatross at Kaena Point NAR, O'ahu

A mōlī begins to call even before its shell is cracked, and its parents respond, establishing a dialogue that lasts until the chick emerges, as much as six days later. Most nesting occurs on the remote northwest islands, but there is a large nesting colony at Ka'ena Point on Oahu. 

Full-grown members of this handsome and powerful species have a wingspan of more than six feet and sometimes can be seen in flight off O'ahu and other main islands. But the search for squid, their primary food, commonly carries them hundreds of miles out to sea.

Noting its keen attention to life under the sea, Hawaiians took the albatross as a metaphor, calling an especially observant person ka manu ka'upu hālō ale o ka moana - "the ka'upu, the bird that observes the ocean."

Visit the Comprehansive Wildlife Conservation Strategy fact sheet here to learn more about the Laysan albatross.

The above information comes from "Hawaii: A Calendar of Natural Events"

Published by Bishop Museum and Kamehameha Schools in 1989

All photos by C. Tucker

This Week in Nature: The 3rd week in February

What's Happening in Hawaii

During the 3rd week in February:

 

On the atolls and islands at the northwest end of the archipelago, the Hawaiian monk seal (Monachus schauinslandi) is beginning to bear its young. Already 30 pounds at birth, a seal pup grows rapidly during the next five or six weeks, increasing in weight to as much as 200 pounds. Throughout this period, its mother devotes all her time to nursing the pup and teaching it to swim, not even pausing to feed herself.

The monk seal once lived throughout the archipelago and, except for the Hawaiian bat, is the only native mammal remaining on the islands.

Biologically unchanged in 15 million years, it does not flee from intruders, and after centuries of human predation and intrusion into breeding areas, the monk seal today is a federally listed endangered species.

Its Hawaiian name, ilio-holo-i-ka-uaua, means "dog running in the toughness" and probably refers to its awkward gait as well as to its doglike face.

Click here to visit a previous DOFAW blog post about the Hawaiian monk seal, including information about hiking at Kaena Point, Oahu.

Also, visit the Monk Seal Mania blog, where photos, frequent updates and even video will keep you up-to-date with Monk seal activity on Oahu.

Some text from "Hawaii: A Calendar of Natural Events"

published by the Bishop Museum and Kamehameha Schools in 1989

All photos by C. Tucker

This Week in Nature: The 2nd week in February - 'Akohekohe

What's Happening in Hawaii

during the 2nd week in February:

  'Ākohekohe, the crested honey-creeper, displays its brightest plumage this month, probably as part of its breeding cycle. The ‘ākohekohe (Palmeria dolei), is the largest extant (still existing) honeycreeper on Maui Nui (Lāna‘i, Moloka‘i, Maui, and Kaho‘olawe). Although primarily black, the plumage of the ‘ākohekohe is striking. Depending on their location, feathers are tipped with orange-yellow, gray, silver, or white. Orange feathers surround the eyes and extend over the nape, orange or yellow-white feathers cover the thighs, and the epaulettes are white with orange tips. Finally, the ‘ākohekohe has a distinctive plume of white feathers that curl forward over the bill.

Like 'apapane and other Hawaiian honeycreepers, 'ākohekohe live in the high, native forest and feed on 'ōhia lehua nectar. ‘Ākohekohe may spend up to 70 percent of the day foraging. But while 'apapane still thrive in this habitat, 'ākohekohe have become an endangered species, and are restricted to a 58 square kilometer (22 square mile) area on the northeastern slope of Haleakalā, which makes up less than 5% of their historic range.

This species of bird does not sing, but produces a random series of buzzes, croaks, and whistles.

To learn more about this endemic endangered bird, visit the 'ākohekohe fact sheet on the Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy (CWCS) webpage.

Image and selected text from "Hawaii: A Calendar of Natural Events"

published by the Bishop Museum and Kamehameha Schools in 1989

Some information taken from the CWCS.

This Week in Nature: The 1st week in February - limu pahe'e

 What's Happening in Hawaii

during the 1st Week in February:

 A highly prized seasonal seaweed, limu pahe'e (Porphyra sp.), can usually be found this time of year, growing high on rocks in areas of heavy surf where fresh water mixes with ocean water. At other times of year, this limu seems to vanish, but actually it takes on a microscopic form, producing spores which will mature only in winter or early spring, when days are short and nights long. Pahe'e means "slippery" and very accurately describes the texture of the mature limu.

Hawaiians identified more than sixty kinds of edible limu, an indication of its importance in their diet. An old saying refers to seaweed as ka i'a lauoho loloa o ke kai, "the long-haired fish of the sea," and sometimes, especially for women, it replaced fish or other foods that were kapu. Limu pahe'e was so rare that it was reserved for ali'i and forbidden to commoners, but today related species are widely cultivated in northern Asia and can be found dried and packaged on the grocery shelf under the familiar Japanese name of nori.

Image and text from "Hawaii: A Calendar of Natural Events"

published by the Bishop Museum and Kamehameha Schools in 1989

This Week in Nature: The 4th week in January - Potter's Angelfish

What's Happening in Hawaii

during the 4th week in January:

Potter's angelfish (Centropyge potteri), a native reef dweller, spawns this week - the week before the full moon. Its reproductive behavior is tied not only to the moon phase but also to the season and time of day, in a complex pattern that appears to increase the odds that its larvae will survive. Spawning occurs over high reef areas at dusk, when the lunar pull creates tides likely to carry larvae offshore, away from potential predators resting in the lower reef. At this time of year, larvae subsequently will be picked up by northwesterly ocean currents and swept along the archipelago, improving the chances that juveniles eventually will be redeposited on a Hawaiian reef.

Potter's angelfish is among the most common inhabitants of island reefs. It grows to a maximum length of five inches, and like other fish that have little or no value as food, it lacks a Hawaiian name. Today, however, this shy algae-eater has gained popularity as an aquarium fish, ranking third in commercial trade in Hawaii.

Image and text from "Hawaii: A Calendar of Natural Events"

published by the Bishop Museum and Kamehameha Schools in 1989

This Week in Nature: The 3rd week in January - aku

What's Happening in Hawaii

during the 3rd Week in January:

 

In Hawaiian tradition, a major fishing kapu was reversed at about this time, as the Makahiki season came to a close. Catching aku (Katsuwonus pelamis) was now permitted, and taking of another important fish, the 'opelu (mackerel  scad), was prohibited. This kapu served to protect the two fish, helping ensure ample supplies in years to come. Present regulations place no seasonal restrictions on aku and 'opelu fishing, but the largest catches are still made during the months allowed by the old kapu. 

Also called skipjack tuna or ocean bonito, aku move in big schools and will bite on almost anything during their daily feeding frenzies. Hawaiian fishing fleets of outrigger or double-hulled canoes exploited this trait the same way local sampans do today. Locating feeding schools by the seabirds that follow them, Hawaiian fishermen attracted aku with live nehu, the silvery native anchovy, then used mother-of-pearl lures to land fish in rapid succession. A Hawaiian warning against greedy behavior says "The aku rush to eat."   

Click here to learn more about aku from the hawaii-seafood.org website.

Image and text from "Hawaii: A Calendar of Natural Events"

published by the Bishop Museum and Kamehameha Schools in 1989

This Week in Nature: The 2nd week in January - 'apapane

What's Happening in Hawaii 

during the 2nd Week in January:

'Apapane

Photo: DOFAW

'Apapane (Himatione sanguinea) are beginning to mate and nest in high, native forests throughout the islands. The ‘apapane is a small, crimson, primarily nectarivorous (nectar-eating) Hawaiian honeycreeper (Family: Fringillidae) and is an important ‘ōhi‘a (Metrosideros polymorpha) pollinator. ‘Apapane are the most abundant and widely distributed Hawaiian honeycreeper, and are often seen flying above the canopy in search of patches of flowering ‘ōhi‘a. 'Apapane often choose upper branches of these trees as nesting sites. Their crimson plumage was sometimes used in Hawaiian featherwork.

'Apapane

Photo by Forest & Kim Starr

'Apapane have an exceptionally wide repertoire of calls and sing almost all day during the breeding season, which for some pairs lasts as late as June. Courtship entails a lot of chasing on the part of the male 'apapane, both of his mate and of potential rivals, but everything settles down once nesting begins. The male keeps watch and sings from favored perches in nearby trees, while the female lays and warms the egg.

To learn more, visit the 'apapane page on the Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy (CWCS) website.

Some text taken from "Hawaii: A Calendar of Natural Events"

published by the Bishop Museum and Kamehameha Schools in 1989

This Week in Nature: The 3rd week in December - 'opihi

What's Happening in Hawaii 

During the 3rd Week in December: 

Kāpeku ka leo o ke kai,

o ho'oilo ka malama.

When the voice of the sea is harsh, 

the winter months have come.

 December usually brings the year's largest surf, generated by storms in the North Pacific. Kāpeku ("harsh") describes the thunder of big surf and refers to the ancient practice of noisily splashing the water to scare fish into a net. The winter waves have a similar effect, stirring the ocean bottom to depths as great as 240 feet, dislodging a variety of creatures and washing them to shore.

On the islands' northern and western coasts, this is a particularly dangerous time to pick 'opihi (limpets) but a good time to look for sea life on the beaches. In doing so, don't ignore the sand under your feet. The turbulence of storm surf helps create the beaches by bringing ashore the remains of millions of tiny organisms. Much of the white sand of Hawai'i is composed of shells of single-celled animals (Foraminifera, a kind of protozoa), which feed on oceanic bacteria. Some, like the "paper shell" depicted above, grow as large as a quarter of an inch across.

Images and text from "Hawaii: A Calendar of Natural Events"
published by the Bishop Museum and Kamehameha Schools in 1989

This Week in Nature: The 1st week in December - Makali'i

What's Happening in Hawai'i
during the 1st Week in December (Makali'i):

According to one legend, this month takes its name from a great navigator who steered the first canoes to the islands. Maka means "eyes" and li'i is short for ali'i, so his name can be translated "Eyes of the Chief," indicating his importance and prowess at steering by the stars. The Pleiades are also called the Makali'i, perhaps because of their use in the ancient science of celestial navigation.

Ilima on Oahu.
Photo by C. Tucker.

It is said that the hero Makali'i was a great farmer as well as steersman and that his name was given to December because it is the month when he planted his crops. Tradition also says that it is the time when 'ilima (Sida fallax) withers and ko'oko'olau (Bidens spp.) blossoms. 'Ilima is a dryland plant famous today for the flowers it gives to the lei of O'ahu. In the old days, along with ko'oko'olau, it was equally valued for its many medicinal uses. A proverb says, Ola no i ka pua o ka 'ilima - "There is healing in the 'ilima blossom."

'Ilima at Mokolii on Oahu.

Photo by Forest & Kim Starr

Drawn image and text taken from "Hawai'i: A Calendar of Natural Events" 

published by Bishop Museum and Kamehameha Schools in 1989

This Week in Nature: The 4th week in November: 'amakihi

What's Happening in Hawaii

during the 4th week in November:

Starting this week, 'amakihi are starting to nest in high, native forests on the island of Hawai'i. Although breeding at this time of year is unusual for Hawaiian birds, 'amakihi and nēnē have both developed this behavior. Perhaps there is a greater availability of food available during the rainy season.

The Hawai‘i ‘amakihi (Hemignathus virens) is a small generalist Hawaiian honeycreeper (Family: Fringillidae) that occurs on the islands of Hawai‘i, Maui, and Moloka‘i. Until 1995, the Hawai‘i ‘amakihi, and the O‘ahu 'amakihi (H. flavus) and Kaua‘i ‘amakihi (H. kauaiensis) were considered a single species: the common ‘amakihi (H. virens).

Plumage of all species is similar; males are yellow-green to olive in color, and females are generally similar, but duller. All have decurved bills.

Hawai‘i ‘amakihi are generalized foragers that most often glean arthropods from the leaves, blossoms, twigs, branches, and less frequently from tree trunks of a variety of trees, ferns, and shrubs. This species feeds on nectar predominately from the flowers of ‘ōhi‘a (Metrosideros polymorpha), māmane (Sophora chrysophylla), and native lobelias (Campanulaceae), but also forages on flowers of a number of other native and non-native plants. Hawai‘i ‘amakihi also eats fruit from native and non-native plants, but predominately from pilo (Coprosma spp.).

Hawai'i 'amakihi forages alone, in pairs, in family groups, or in mixed flocks. Courtship behavior is somewhat complex and includes courtship chases, advertising displays, and courtship feeding. Pairs will remain together for successive breeding seasons. The pair selects a nest site, the female builds an open-cup nest, then lays two or three eggs. Only females incubate eggs and brood nestlings. Males deliver food to females who then feed nestlings. Fledglings are dependent on parents for up to three months. The Hawai‘i ‘amakihi usually raise two broods in a season.

Drawn images taken from "Hawaii: A Calendar of Natural Events" 

published by Bishop Museum and Kamehameha Schools in 1989

 
For more info about 'amakihi, and to see photos, visit the Hawaii Comprehensive Conservation Strategy forest bird fact sheets.

Or click on the names below:

Kauai 'amakihi

Oahu 'amakihi

Hawai'i 'amakihi

‘Anianiau or Lesser ‘Amakihi

This Week in Nature: The 3rd week in November - Humpback Whales

What's Happening in Hawaii 
during the 3rd week in November:

Humpback whales are now beginning to arrive for their annual, five-month stay in island waters. Humpbacks come to calve, and preferring warm, sheltered water for this purpose, they can often be seen from shore. Arrivals can increase in December and January, with the peak population being reached in February, when much of the calving occurs. 

At least a few humpbacks winter near each of the main islands, but they can be found in greatest numbers in the enclosed waters off Maui's southern flank and over a shallow bank west of Moloka'i.

Of the several hundred adults present, perhaps 30 will bear calves, and some will also mate before setting out in April or May for their summer feeding grounds in the North Pacific. Humpbacks are known for underwater song, and their music evolves while they are here. New themes are started and old ones dropped, so that they leave with a different song than they brought. 

To see a video of singing whales, visit the Whale Trust.org Humpback Whale Song site. This site also answers many frequently asked questions about whale songs.

Visit the Discovery Channel webpage to hear Humpback whale songs as well as noises from other interesting creatures. (You may need Quicktime, RealPlayer or Windows Media player to access these audio files. DOFAW is not affiliated with Whale Trust or the Discovery Channel.)

Want to learn more about the Humpback's migration? Visit the NOAA Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary site to play a fun migration game.


If you'd like to volunteer your time and join others to watch and count whales this winter, visit the NOAA Humpback Whale Sanctuary Ocean Count Volunteer page.

Natural history info and image taken from "Hawaii: A Calendar of Natural Events," 

published by the Bishop Museum and Kamehameha Schools in 1989.

This Week in Nature:The 2nd week in November - Nene

What's Happening in Hawaii 

during the 2nd week in November:

Nēnē, the Hawaiian goose (Branta sandvicensis), begins nesting on the upper slopes of Haleakalā, Hualālai, and Mauna Loa. Historically, at least five species of geese (family: Anatidae) occurred in Hawai‘i; today, only the nēnē, or Hawaiian goose, survives. Adult males and females are mostly dark brown or sepia with a black face and crown, cream-colored cheeks, and a buff neck with black streaks. Females are smaller than males. Compared to other geese, nēnē are more terrestrial and have longer legs and less webbing between their toes; these differences likely facilitate nēnē walking on lava flows.

Nēnē, Haleakalā National Park, Maui.
Photo by Forest & Kim Starr

Nēnē pairs mate for life. Nēnē have an extended breeding season and eggs can be found all year except May-July, although the majority of birds nest between October and March, and most clutches are laid between October and December. Nēnē nests consist of a shallow scrape, moderately lined with plant materials and down. Pairs typically return to previous years’ nests sites, typically in dense vegetation; when available, kīpuka may be preferred. Females lay between two and five eggs which hatch after 30 days. Young are not fed by their parents; however, young remain with their parents for up to one year.

Nēnē, Haleakalā National Park, Maui.  

Photo by Forest & Kim Starr 

In 1951, the wild nēnē population was estimated at 30 individuals. Current population is estimated at between 1,300 and 1,500 individuals with 378 birds on the island of Hawai‘i, 295 to 325 birds on Maui, 720 birds on Kaua‘i, and 74 birds on Moloka‘i. All populations have been or are currently being supplemented by captive-bred birds.

Historical threats included habitat loss and degradation, hunting, and predation by rats (Rattus spp.), cats (Felis silvestris), dogs (Canis domesticus), and the small Indian mongoose (Herpestes auropunctatus). Current threats include predation by the non-native mammals listed above, exposure in high-elevation habitats, nutritional deficiency due to habitat degradation which may result in low productivity, a lack of lowland habitat, human-caused disturbance and mortality (e.g., road mortality, disturbance by hikers), behavioral problems related to captive propagation, and inbreeding depression.

Nēnē at Namana o ke Akua Haleakala National Park, Maui 

 Photo by Forest & Kim Starr

The goals of conservation actions are not only to protect current populations and key breeding habitats, but also to establish additional populations, thereby reducing the risk of extinction. Past and current actions include captive propagation and release of captive-bred individuals into the wild, predator control, habitat enhancement, research and monitoring, private conservation efforts, formation of the Nēnē Recovery Action Group, and public education.

For more details about the nēnē life cycle, and how DOFAW is working to protect the nēnē, visit the Hawaii Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy nēnē fact sheet.

Also, visit the HEAR.org nēnē page.

Check out Forest and Kim Starr's gallery for more beautiful images of nēnē and other native Hawaiian species. 

Drawn image from "Hawaii: A Calendar of Natural Events"

published by the Bishop Museum and Kamehameha Schools in 1989.


Text: Hawaii Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy, October 2005. 

This Week in Nature:The 1st week in November - Hawaiian pepperwort

What's Happening in Hawaii 

during the 1st week in November (Welehu):

A Welehu ka malama, noho i Makali'i.

Li 'ili 'i ka hana.

The month of Welehu is ruled by the Pleiades.

Work is done a little at a time.

Hawaiians reckoned the beginning of Welehu and of the rainy season from the date when the Pleiades, or Makali'i, rise at sunset - as they will this week. Work is limited by the storms and by kapu related to Makahiki. Another proverb says, "Rest the head on the pillow; Welehu is the month."

On O'ahu, at Koko Head and Lualualei Valley, winter rains cause sprouting of 'ihi'ihi-lau-ākea, the Hawaiian pepperwort (Marsilea villosa). Superbly adapted for life in normally arid areas, this aquatic native fern goes dormant in dry weather, dying back into fuzzy, rust colored runners and spore capsules that lie waiting to germinate. With rain, the runners put up shoots that resemble four-leaf clover, carpeting the ground in emerald green. If the rain is heavy enough to form a pool, spore capsules will awaken from their decades of slumber and release spores within half an hour. 

For more about this plant species, visit the Hawaii Ecosystems At Risk (HEAR.org) info page. View photos of Marsilea villosa at Forest and Kim Starr's searchable photo gallery.


To see additional photos of the Hawaiian pepperwort, visit the University of Hawaii botany webpage.

Taken from "Hawaii: A Calendar of Natural Events"

published by the Bishop Museum and Kamehameha Schools in 1989

This Week in Nature:The 5th week in October - he'e

What's Happening in Hawaii 

during the 5th week in October:

Pua ke kō, ku ka he'e.

When the sugar cane tassels, 

the octopus season is here.

Like the proverb about breadfruit, this one gives a botanical cue for food-gathering at sea. Again, the word he'e is used, but in this case, all clues point to an octopus. Sugar cane begins to form plumes in late October or early November, a time of year when large specimens of he'e mauli, the daytime octopus (Octopus cyani), are unusually abundant. He'e mauli frequent shallow water, living in holes on rocks and reef flats and feeding on crabs and shrimp. It is one of two octopuses common in Hawai'i, the other being a nocturnal feeder.

Sugar cane, kō, with tassels.

Photo by Forest & Kim Starr

Hawaiians were first to cultivate kō in the islands, using it as a sweet, a quick energy source, and a medicine. Its blossoming was a signal not only to hunt octopus but also to enjoy a seasonal form of recreation: "When the sugar cane tassels, move to the sledding course," says another proverb. But don't look for snow. Hawaiian sledding was done on hills strewn with silky kō flowers and pili grass. 

  Pili grass.
Photo by Forest & Kim Starr

For photos of  he'e mauli and more information, visit the Hanauma Bay Creature Feature page.

Text and  he'e image taken from "Hawaii: A Calendar of Natural Events"

published by the Bishop Museum and Kamehameha Schools in 1989

This Week in Nature:The 4th week in October - 'ama'ama

What's Happening in Hawaii 

during the 4th week in October:

'Ama'ama, a native mullet, makes a six-month migration each year, beginning about this time and ending in April. On O'ahu, legend has it that schools of 'ama'ama swim from the leeward side to the windward side through an underground channel. The actual route is by sea, from 'Ewa around Koko Head and as far up the coast as Lā'ie. Mature 'ama'ama are called 'anae, and the Hawaiians distinguish 'anae-holo, migrating mullet, from 'anae-pali, cliff mullet. 'Anae spawn at sea before returning to the inshore, brackish water they generally prefer.

One of the principal fish in the Hawaiian diet, 'ama'ama are algae-eaters and were raised for royalty in a sophisticated, early form of aquaculture. Trapping nutrient-rich water from the lo'i (taro paddies), fishponds bred algae profusely and thus were ideal places to fatten 'ama'ama. The mullet was known as pua'a kai, or "sea pig," which could be given in offerings in place of an ordinary pig. Around Ke'ehi 'ama'ama were referred to as the "loud-voiced fish of Ke'ehi," owing to the noise fishermen made while driving them into nets. They also gave Wai'anae its name - "mullet waters."

Taken from "Hawaii: A Calendar of Natural Events"

published by the Bishop Museum and Kamehameha Schools in 1989

This Week in Nature:The 3rd week in October - Hawaiian Bat

What's Happening in Hawaii 

during the 3rd week in October:

Your best opportunity to see 'ōpe'ape'a, or the Hawaiian hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus semotus), comes at this time of year, when they congregate at dusk on feeding grounds near shore. The only mammal native to the islands besides the monk seal, the 'ōpe'ape'a usually keeps out of sight, sleeping during the day and leading a quite solitary existence.  

Pe'a can mean "sail," so the bat may take its name from the sail-like appearance of its wings. Pe'a may also mean "to turn and go," which describes the bat's zig-zag flight while foraging. Its ability as a hunter probably accounts for a legend of an eight-eyed bat that stole Maui's wife.

Though listed as endangered, 'ōpe'ape'a seems more adaptable than most Hawaiian species, roosting freely in non-native trees and even on buildings. It is believed still to reside on all of the main islands, with the total population estimated at a few thousand. The largest concentrations - and the best places to see 'ōpe'ape'a - are on the islands of Kaua'i and Hawai'i, particularly along the Hāmākua and south Kona coasts.

Taken from "Hawaii: A Calendar of Natural Events"

published by the Bishop Museum and Kamehameha Schools in 1989

*Disclaimer: The above information was accurate as of 1989, and statistics about the number and distribution of the Hawaiian bat may have changed since then.

For more current information, visit: the species info page at HEAR.org, the Hawaii Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy bat fact sheet, and the National Park Service's fact sheet about the Hawaiian bat.

Also, see the Honolulu Zoo's bat info page, where you'll find species information, photos of bats in captivity, as well as a history of two Hawaiian bats that were cared for at the Honolulu zoo.

This Week in Nature: The 2nd week in October - 'Ikuwā

What's Happening in Hawaii 

during the 2nd week in October:

O 'Ikuwā i pohā kō 'ele 'ele,

'ikuwā ke kai, 'ikuwā ka hekili,

'ikuwā ka manu.

'Ikuwā is the month when the dark storms arise, 

the sea roars, the thunder roars,

the birds make a din.

'Ikuwā means "noisy" and indicates a transition from peaceful summer weather to the storms of ho'oilo, the rainy season, which begins next month. Another proverb speaks of strong winds: "The [flap of the] loincloth [flutters and] snaps in the month of 'Ikuwā."

Clouds, thunder, rain, and wind are associated with Lono, one of the four principal Hawaiian gods. It is Lono whose mana (power) brings forth plants for sustenance and healing, and the four-month Makahiki season, which begins about the middle of October, is dedicated to him. In old Hawai'i, the ali'i collected taxes at this time, usually in the form of food. Afterward, the harvest was celebrated with an extended festival. Warfare and work were kapu. Hula was danced for entertainment and in friendly competition with neighbors. Wrestling, boxing, and other games were the order of the day.

Taken from "Hawaii: A Calendar of Natural Events"

published by the Bishop Museum and Kamehameha Schools in 1989

This Week in Nature: The 1st week in October - lobelia

What's Happening in Hawaii 

during the 1st week in October:

Another rare Hawaiian lobelia is entering its flowering season. Known only by its scientific name, Rollandia ambigua, it is a small plant with hanging bunches of large magenta or white blossoms. Along with six other species of Rollandia, it is found nowhere in the world except O'ahu, where it favors elevations from 1000 to 2200 feet.

In Hawai'i, the lobelia family adapted itself to many different environments, as honeycreepers did among birds and as land snails did among mollusks. More than 150 exclusively Hawaiian forms of lobelia are known, and they exhibit extraordinary diversity, ranging from small herbs to trees 30 feet tall. Compare Rollandia ambigua with koli'i (below) and ālula (August 21 post) for a sense of this group's rich variety.

Koli'i, a native lobelia that blooms in early January 

Taken from "Hawaii: A Calendar of Natural Events"

published by the Bishop Museum and Kamehameha Schools in 1989