Exhibition offers rare look at Hawaii’s native forest bird

By Shane Nelson / February 08, 2016

I'iwi

Most Oahu visitors don’t get a chance to see native Hawaiian forest birds. They’re tough to spot on much of the island, and sightings in bustling, urban Waikiki are extraordinarily rare.

Starting next month, however, travelers headed to the Aloha State’s most popular tourism island can check out “Lele O Na Manu: Hawaiian Forest Birds,” a new exhibition at Honolulu’s Bishop Museum offering a comprehensive look at Hawaii’s remarkable native avian species. 

“The goal of this exhibit is to educate people about the tremendous cultural and natural resource of these unique creatures,” said Blair Collis, president and CEO of the Bishop Museum, “and to instill a call to action to help save the remaining species before they are lost forever.” 

Before the first Polynesians arrived in Hawaii, traveling onboard ocean voyaging canoes more than 1,000 years ago, the islands were home to over 110 species of birds found nowhere else on the planet, according to museum officials. Today, biologists believe the Aloha State is home for just 48 native avian species.

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