Oahu Part 7 – Forest Endemics
When thinking about Hawaii, beaches probably first come to mind. But the forests have a few special gems to offer as well. During our time I made a point to look for endemic forest birds. Because how often does that opportunity come around? I had a limited amount of time and I aimed to make…
Oahu Part 3 – Waimea Valley
I had an endemic reason to visit Waimea Valley. A “species and subspecies that evolved in Hawaii and are found nowhere else in the world.” The prize lay conveniently just beyond the ticket booth. The Hawaiian Gallinule (also called Hawaiian Moorhen, Common Hawaiian Gallinule, Common Hawaiian Moorhen) is a subspecies of the Common Gallinule. A…
Oahu Part 2 – Dole Whip
Our second day on Oahu started with Pancakes and Waffles and a side of parking lot birds- Common Mynas and Japanese White-eye! I was excited to see this new bird, but unfortunately this cute, charismatic songbird introduced to Hawaii in the late 1920s for bug control turned out to be a problem for native birds.…