This article has been published in the Wrentit newsletter of the Pasadena Audubon Society
Spring Break in Hawaii: The Last Forest of the Palila
By Shuxing (Miles) Wang
Not long after we started our drive on the rough mountain road, our car suddenly jolted and tilted to one side. We got stuck in a trench!
An hour earlier, we had just touched down at Kona airport on the Big Island in Hawaii. We quickly rented a car and drove to Mauna Kea Forest Reserve to look for the Palila, an endemic Hawaiian honeycreeper.
The road in Mauna Kea Forest Reserve is extremely rough and rocky. We were lucky that our four-wheel drive vehicle eventually got us out of the trench and continued along the remaining six-mile dirt road toward R12. With such conditions, it took us nearly an hour to complete.
The small patch of māmane forest between two pūʻu (volcanic hills) near the R12 road of Mauna Kea Forest Reserve is now the only place where birders can still reliably find the Palila.
The Palila has evolved for millions of years to consume the toxic seeds and flowers of the māmane bush. The historical range of the Palila once extended all the way to the coast, covering the entire western slope of Mauna Kea. However, following human arrival on the island, the cattle, sheep, and pigs introduced by settlers nearly obliterated all suitable habitat within the birds’ distribution area. The lush māmane forest that the Palila exclusively relies on has decreased dramatically.
Furthermore, invasive plants made it difficult for native flora to take root, while mosquitoes transmitted avian malaria to the unprepared Hawaiian honeycreepers. Those human activities wiped out all the Parrot-billed Honeycreepers on the main Hawaiian islands except the Palila. They have become one of the most endangered birds in the world, numbering fewer than 600 individuals. They now survive solely within a patch of forest covering less than 10 square miles on the western flank of Mauna Kea, and face a high probability of extinction within a few decades.
Upon arriving at the R12 intersection of the “main road,” we got out of our car to hike our way around the pūʻu to the lush māmane forest on the other side.
Suddenly, I heard some faint whistles from the Palila. We slowly approached the forest. As soon as we got close, a Palila swooped down to a māmane right in front of us. We then realized that there were two more Palilas in that bush.
We carefully moved closer, and suddenly, a Palila flew over, calling loudly. This triggered the other Palilas to come to the top of the bush. That was truly spectacular! I quickly raised my camera and captured the moment. I was just in time, as they soon followed the fourth bird and flew away into the vast māmane forest further down the road.
With another Palila singing in the distance, we slowly walked back to our car. Such a lovely, yet so endangered bird! It is devastating to know that such a beautiful creature might be gone forever in the near future.
The way back down the mountain was not any easier. Fortunately, we successfully made it to the paved road. The rest of the drive was more or less much smoother. With the relaxing sunset in front of us, we got back to town.
Although we saw a lot of exciting lifers all throughout the trip in Hawaii, getting the Palila was one of the most memorable moments of the entire spring break.
View this article on the digital version of the Wrentit at https://www.pasadenaaudubon.org/newsletter/wrentit_2026_06.pdf
Special thanks to the Wrentit editor Renée Fabian for her thoughtful edits, which made this article more polished and fluent!
Here is the link to all the other Hawaii birding articles and guides I wrote: https://birdingatfoothill.com/category/travel-journals/hawaii-2026/