Kauaʻi record · kba_bird_iiwi
Iiwi
Drepanis coccinea
Open this record in the interactive AtlasAbout Iiwi
Iiwi (Drepanis coccinea) is recorded as a native resident on Kauaʻi in the Bishop Museum's 2017 island checklist. This is a documented island occurrence, not a claim of an individual sighting in 2026.
Kauaʻi evidence
Bishop Museum island checklist (version 2, 2017) lists Kauaʻi status R: native resident. See original island table. A Hawaiʻi-level record is available, but the species needs a documented Kauaʻi observation before local ecological conclusions are drawn. This native bird is documented on Kauaʻi; the former occurrence flag was too cautious.
Occurrence evidence
bishop_island_checklist_2017
Names and classification
- Scientific name
- Drepanis coccinea
- Common names
- Iiwi
- Family
- Fringillidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Record type
- Species
Kauaʻi occurrence and status
- Kauaʻi occurrence
- Kauaʻi documented: native resident (2017 island checklist)
- Origin
- Endemic
- Conservation status
- Not assessed
- Evidence date
- 2026-09-29
- Evidence limits
- Island occurrence supported by the 2017 checklist; abundance and current year presence are not established here
Habitat and ecology
- Habitats
- Forest
- Food and resource needs
- Primarily nectar, especially ohia, with insects as a smaller component.
- Reproduction
- Suitable nesting or roosting sites, seasonal food, and protection from disturbance and predators.
- Shelter
- Shelter and structure within forest.
Threats and conservation
- Threats
- Avian disease, habitat loss/degradation, introduced predators, and disruption of flowering-resource networks
- Conservation actions
- Connect to Kauai forest-bird recovery, mosquito/disease suppression, ohia protection, and movement-aware habitat continuity
- Monitoring
- Document date, place, observer, habitat, behavior, and supporting media for any Kauaʻi observation.
- Data gaps
- Update island status with dated contemporary records · Specific Kauaʻi habitat and abundance need local evidence
Process and seasonal context
- Seasonal timing
- Resident Native Forest Bird With Kauai Conservation Context
- Seasonal description
- Iiwi (Drepanis coccinea) is recorded as a native resident on Kauaʻi in the Bishop Museum's 2017 island checklist. This is a documented island occurrence, not a claim of an individual sighting in 2026.
Sources and further reading
- https://westernfieldornithologists.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Hawaiian_Islands_Bird_Checklist-Jan-2019.pdf
- https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/wildlife/birds/
- https://www.usgs.gov/publications/2018-kauai-forest-bird-population-estimates-and-trends
- https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/wildlife/birds/iiwi/
- https://kauaiforestbirds.org/iiwi/
- https://www.usgs.gov/publications/iiwi-vestiaria-coccinea
- https://www.usgs.gov/publications/interspecific-competition-among-hawaiian-forest-birds
- https://hbs.bishopmuseum.org/birds/rlp-monograph/SEHIlist.htm