Critically Endangered

The Hawaiian name, Nuku-pu`u, describes the curved bill of this rare honeycreeper. "Nuku" is the bill of a bird, and pu`u is a small round hill.

Distribution: Nuku-pu`u are found near the Wainiha Pali in the Alaka`i Swamp of Kaua`i. On Maui they dwell in wet `ohi`a and koa-`ohi`a forests on the northeast slopes of Haleakala and in Kipahulu Valley from about 4,750 to 6,400 feet elevation.

Description: The distinctive bill is long and decurved; the upper mandible is twice as long as the lower. The male is grayish-olive green above (Maui), yellow olive-green above (Kaua`i), with a bright yellow head, throat and breast. Length is 4.5 to 5.5 inches. Females are smaller and not as brightly colored as males.

Voice: The call is a clear "kee-wit," the song is a short, loud trill.

Nesting: Breeding biology is unknown.

Diet: Nuku-pu`u make a tapping sound while hammering on branches to find wood-boring beetles and moth larvae. They also feed on spiders found oin lichen-covered branches, and on nectar from `ohi`a and lobelia flowers.

Conservation Note: The Maui subspecies, with a population of fewer than 30 birds, has the dubious distinction of being the rarest honeycreeper on the island. The population of Nuku-pu`u on Kaua`i, where the last sighting was in 1985, is presumed to be very small. The O`ahu race is believed to be extinct.

Evidence suggests that the Nuku-pu`u were more common in koa rather than `ohi`a forests due to the greater number of insect borers found in koa wood. Prior to the clearing of lowland forests on Kaua`i, Nuku-pu`u were associated with koa forests as low as 2,000 feet in elevation. On Maui, cattle ranching and feral cattle have eliminated most dryland forest habitat up to 5,000 feet elevation. As a result, only a small fragment of the original Nuku-pu`u population remains in the `ohi`a forest.

The browsing activities of goats and the rooting of pigs continue to disrupt remaining habitat. The goat population on the south slopes of Haleakala numbers about ten thousand. Control of these herds and the growing goat population on Kaua`i poses a tremendous challenge to biologists concerned with managing this habitat for endangered forests. Subsequent efforts, with measures to help contol introduced plants and reduce breeding sites of disease-transmitting mosquitoes, are critical to the survival of this critically endangered and beautiful bird.