Birds, Not Mosquitoes

08/24/2026

08/24/2026

Hawaiian Honeycreeper Celebration Day (8/08) chosen for the area code
At one point in time there were more than 50 species of Hawaiian Honeycreepers… now, there are around 17 left.
I’ve had the privilege of photographing nine of them, and the ones missing from this list are mostly the critically endangered ones that most normal people like me can’t photograph easily.
Mosquitoes carrying avian malaria have pushed these birds into the last of the high forests. A lot of people are working to change that … and I hope this post is out of date someday.
Easy to hard. How many have you seen?

08/20/2026

Another update 🦟🌿

Recent heavy rains across Hawaiʻi create standing water that quickly becomes mosquito breeding habitat. Mosquito suppression isn’t limited to forests it’s something we can all help with in our communities.

Dump standing water when possible, and use tools like BTi to treat water that can’t be removed.

Small actions at home and in our communities support efforts to reduce mosquitoes and protect Hawaiʻi.

08/09/2026

August 8th is Hawaiian Honeycreeper Celebration Day, a date inspired by Hawaiʻi's 808 area code and dedicated to celebrating some of the world's most extraordinary birds!
🏝️
Hawaiian honeycreepers are found nowhere else on Earth. Once, more than 50 native honeycreeper species filled Hawaiʻi's forests with color and song. Today, 15 honeycreeper species remain in the main Hawaiian islands, with two additional species found in the Northwestern Hawaiian islands.
These remarkable manu nahele (forest birds) are an irreplaceable part of Hawaiʻi's natural and cultural heritage. The Hawaiʻi State Legislature officially recognized Aug. 8 as Hawaiian Honeycreepers Celebration Day through a resolution in 2023. The celebration was inspired by American Bird Conservancy, local artists, conservationists, students, and teachers to raise awareness and appreciation for Hawaiʻi’s unique honeycreepers.

American Bird Conservancy is proud to be part of the Birds, Not Mosquitoes partnership, working alongside partners across the islands to help prevent further extinctions.
Read about the Pilina Project on our website:
https://abcbirds.info/3TBx2Lx

08/07/2026

Alongside all the intricate beauty of Hawaiian forest ecosystems, we celebrate the honeycreeper bird family. Hawaiʻi's remaining high elevation native forests still support some of these surviving native forest birds.

Found nowhere else in the world, birds like ʻākohekohe (ah ko-heh ko-heh) maintain age-old relationships with the forest ecosystem and continue to be important pollinators in the forest. The population of ʻākohekohe -- along with other remaining precious honeycreepers -- is dwindling because of disease from introduced mosquitoes and myriad other impacts from other invasive species.

Our intrepid field biologists traverse the challenging and stunningly beautiful remote forests of Maui, working with our partners to protect these native birds and their habitats.

Together ❤️

📸ʻākohekohe - Robby Kohley
📸 Hawaiʻi ʻamakihi - Warren Johnson
📸 Sonia in the field - Gus Forrest

08/07/2026

Pueo, the Hawaiian short-eared owl 🦉
We'd been chasing this one post to post for about fifteen minutes when the sun dropped behind the mountain. I pulled the teleconverter off… gave up the reach for the light… and hoped he'd sit one more time… thankfully, he landed closer than he had all day.
was filming on her phone from the shotgun seat. Capturing the BTS of what still might be my favorite Pueo shot to this date
Can’t wait to go back to the Big Island with the fam!

07/23/2026

The reality is heartbreaking, but it’s one we can no longer ignore.

Kauaʻi’s native forest birds are disappearing before our eyes. Species that numbered in the thousands just a few years ago are now being counted in the hundreds. This isn’t a prediction for the future it’s happening now. (Hawaii Public Radio⁠)

Our manu are more than birds. They are ʻike, culture, stories, and the voices of our forests. Once they are gone, we don’t get them back.

Now is the time to support conservation, advocate for science and ʻike Hawaiʻi working together, and inspire the next generation to care for what makes Hawaiʻi unlike anywhere else in the world.

Please take a few minutes to listen to this important conversation from Hawaiʻi Public Radio: https://www.hawaiipublicradio.org/the-conversation/2026-07-21/native-birds-suffer-dramatic-decline-on-kauai?fbclid=PAdGRleATPhWRwZG9mAmV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDzEyNDAyNDU3NDI4NzQxNAABp9MkQMJph-52D4uVaROiJkR6EQkGOWml3TzsQRrqaQGQFZuWjhn0zwDolkTY_aem_xQijQPArTT1LC70GONASZQ

07/23/2026

He interrupted my lunch break… and I’m not even mad
I spent the morning photographing this male ʻAkiapōlāʻau feeding on his typical koa trees… one of the rarest honeycreepers left in Hawaiʻi. When he finally disappeared into the forest, I called it, walked a good distance back to the trail, and sat down to eat.
Halfway through lunch I heard his call. Again.
Walked back out, and there he was — same bird, on kōlea this time, feeding like I'd never left. So lunch waited… honestly, one of the best lunch breaks I’ve ever had