Akekee (Loxops caeruleirostris)

The Kauai akepa (Loxops caeruleirostris), or akekee, is a small forest bird found only on the island of Kauai. Like the akikiki, the akekee is also a Hawaiian honeycreeper in the subfamily Drepanidinae of the Fringillidae family (AOU 1998, p. 677). The akekee occurs in the montane mesic and montane wet ecosystems in forests dominated by Metrosideros polymorpha, Acacia koa, Cheirodendron trigynum, and C. platyphyllum (Lepson and Pratt 1997, p. 4; TNCH 2007). The akekee uses its bill to open flower and leaf buds while foraging for arthropod prey (insects, insect larvae, spiders), and is a specialist on the ohia tree (M. polymorpha) (Lepson and Pratt 1997, p. 4). Nests are made of moss and lichen, with the nest lining made of fine grasses and soft bark strips (Eddinger 1972, p. 97; Berger 1981, p. 140; Lepson and Freed 1997, pp. 11-12).