'Akikiki: Bird on the Brink of Extinction

The 'Akikiki is one of the Hawaiian honeycreepers, a dwindling group of songbirds that occur only on their namesake islands. From finches that arrived in the archipelago over 5 million years ago, the Hawaiian honeycreepers diversified to inhabit a wide range of habitats and fill different niches. Unlike the related 'I'iwi, Kiwikiu, and Palila, the 'Akikiki creeps along tree trunks and branches in pairs or family groups, behaving a lot like a nuthatch.

Once common on Kaua'i, the 'Akikiki is now one of the world’s most critically endangered species. Fewer than 76 individuals are believed to remain, occupying an area less than 10 percent of the bird’s original range.

Of many threats to the species, avian malaria — transmitted by non-native mosquitoes — is the most dire. Climate change is enabling mosquitoes to move into the highest elevations on Kaua'i, bringing the deadly disease to the 'Akikiki’s last strongholds. There are no longer any high-elevation refugia on Kaua'i — nowhere is safe from mosquitoes.

But there is hope. How does mosquito “birth control” figure into the last-ditch fight to save the 'Akikiki?

Read more: https://abcbirds.org/bird/akikiki/