Birdsong field guide
Palila
Loxioides bailleui
The Palila is a critically endangered Hawaiian honeycreeper characterized by its golden-yellow head and a thick, hooked beak specialized for cracking woody seed pods.
What it sounds like
A distinct, clear two or three-note whistle sounding like 'pa-leel-la' or 'chee-clee-o'.
Reference call, compare with what you heard
0:00 / 0:26
Field notes
- It is the last surviving member of the 'finch-billed' honeycreeper lineage that once thrived across the Hawaiian archipelago.
- The species subsists almost exclusively on the seeds of the māmane tree, which contain high levels of toxins that would be lethal to most other birds.
- Palila are primarily found at elevations between 6,500 and 9,500 feet, making them a high-altitude specialist.
- Their breeding cycle is closely synchronized with the phenology of the māmane tree, with nesting peaking when seed pods are most abundant.
- The population has suffered a catastrophic decline of over 90% since the turn of the 21st century due to drought and habitat degradation by feral ungulates.
Habitat
High-elevation subalpine dry forests dominated by māmane and naio trees.
Range
The upper slopes of Mauna Kea on the Island of Hawaiʻi.
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