General

Akiapolaau: Small songbird with yellow-green back and rump, yellow head with green crown and ear coverts; underparts are white or gray on underbelly and vent. Black lores, dark wings and tail, and a combination tool bill with a long decurved upper mandible and straight lower mandible about half the length of the upper; cheeks, chin, and upper throat may be slightly orange. Females and juveniles are variable with upperparts generally yellow or olive-green and pale gray or yellow underparts. May or may not have yellow throat; short tail.

Breeding and Nesting

Akiapolaau: One to two cream colored eggs with red-brown markings are laid in a cup-nest made of twigs, lichen, moss and tree bark. It builds a nest at the end of a leafy branch of the ohia tree, where the chick remains for a lengthy period before it is mature enough to fledge. The eggs are incubated by the female for 14 to 16 days.

Foraging and Feeding

Akiapolaau: They are noted for their bill, which consists of a long decurved upper mandible and a short straight lower mandible. They tap branches with the lower mandible to locate prey, which they pry out with their upper mandible. Moth larvae, spiders and beetle larvae are their predominant prey. They are also known to drill holes in the trunks of ohia trees for the purpose of drinking sap.

Vocalization

Akiapolaau: Calls include "cheerdle-ee", "teerweee" or "chew-weee", "squeet", or "swit". Advertising song is a quick warble that usually ending with rising and falling notes, "tu-tu-whee-wheer-tu-du-whee-you". Whisper song is a quiet version of their advertising song, containing trills and warbles., Akiapolaau: Calls include "cheerdle-ee", "teerweee" or "chew-weee", "squeet", or "swit". Advertising song is a quick warble that usually ending with rising and falling notes, "tu-tu-whee-wheer-tu-du-whee-you". Whisper song is a quiet version of their advertising song, containing trills and warbles.

Similar Species

Akiapolaau: Hawaii Amakihi is more olive overall and has much shorter bill.