General

Palila: Large finch-billed honeycreeper, endemic to Hawaii. Yellow head with black lores, seperated from gray back by distinct line. Breast is yellow, belly is white and back is gray. Wings and tail are olive-green. Female is dull, with green-yellow head, gray lores, gray-yellow superciliary and forehead, and indistinct line at nape, with gray and yellow feathers mixed together. Juvenile is similar to female, shows two complete or partial pale green wing bars.

Range and Habitat

Palila: Currently restricted to the upper slopes of Mauna Kea on the island of Hawaii. The west slope of Mauna Kea contains the majority of the population. They live in mamane-naio forests between the elevations of 6,000 and 9,000 feet.

Breeding and Nesting

Palila: One to two white eggs with reddish-brown specks are laid in a cup-shaped nest of sticks, twigs, and grasses in a mamane tree. Incubation is carried out by the female for 16 to 17 days. Nesting can occur from February to September depending on the amount of mamane pods available.

Foraging and Feeding

Palila: Feeds primarily on the unripe seed pods of the mamane tree but will also eat insects, naio berries and mamane buds, flowers and leaves.

Vocalization

Palila: Song is a series of soft warbles and trills and call is an up-slurred two or three note whistle. Also gives a call "palila" for which the bird is named.

Similar Species

Palila: Not likely to be confused with any other species.