Dalton Chan
The year is 1770. The Hawaiian Islands are blanketed by rain forests. As you walk through the forest, dew covers the leaves, and the moisture lingers in the air. You keep walking through the lush vegetation and notice you are surrounded by a sea of red flowers. As the sun reflects off of the red flowers you know you are surrounded by ‘Ōhi’a lehua tress. Appreciating the red glow of the ‘Ōhi’a lehua you hear a whistle in the distance. The whistle in the distance then turns into a creak sound and it is getting closer. The creak sound then turns into a type of gurgle sound and now it is even closer. You look up at the other ‘Ōhi’a lehua trees and notice a small red bird land on one of the branches to take a sip of nectar from one of the flowers. This small red bird has black wings and a salmon-colored curved beak. That bird is the ʻIʻiwi, the Hawaiian Scarlet Honeycreeper.
The Hawaiian Islands have many endemic species of birds. The most popular species is the ʻIʻiwi or Scarlet Honeycreeper; scientifically named Vestiaria Coccinea. The ʻIʻiwi was once a common bird that thrived in Hawaiian rainforests. Now, the ʻIʻiwi is listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. Today many Hawaiian honeycreeper species are either threatened or endangered. How did these once common birds become endangered?
The ʻIʻiwi has played a major role in Hawaiian culture. It is a symbol for the Hawaiian Islands due to its contribution to the history of Hawaii and its indigenous people. The ʻIʻiwi along with the Mamo are two honeycreeper species that have been collected for their beautiful and vibrant feathers. Specialized bird catchers known as Kia Manu would observe forest birds in their natural habitat and learn their feeding habits to collect them. Kia Manu means those who used gum on a pole and that is exactly how the native Hawaiians caught the birds. Before collecting any birds, the Kia Manu had to seek approval from their gods “a service of prayer and an offering to the gods was always first performed before the start of any bird-hunting” (Emerson, N.B, 110-11). After finding an area where the ʻIʻiwi feeds on nectar the Kia Manu would call them in with imitations of the ʻIʻiwi whistles, creeks, and gurgles. The Kia Manu would spread ‘ulu tree sap on branches around the area and wait for the ʻIʻiwi to land on the branches. After landing on the branch the ʻIʻiwi would be stuck due to the adhesive properties of the ‘ulu tree sap and the ʻIʻiwi would be collected. After being collected, the Kia Manu would pluck several feathers from the ʻIʻiwi or Mamo and release it back into the wild.
ʻIʻiwi and Mamo were highly sought after due to their vibrant red and yellow feathers. The feathers collected would be sorted by size, shape, and color for desired feather pieces being made. Hawaiian featherworks started with a naepuni which is a net that the feathers would be strung into. After the naepuni was made the Kia Manu would then go out and collect feathers. The process of making these feather cloaks and helmets was a time-consuming process. Not many have been made because feather pieces would be worn by high ranked men and high ranked women. The feather cloaks and helmets are iconic to Hawaiian culture and will forever be remembered due to the importance of the pieces of art.
The Kia Manu played an important role in Hawaiian culture. To collect rare feathers is not an easy task. Each Kia Manu had their own method to collecting feathers but overall, each method had the same concept of collecting feathers and releasing the bird. The preservation of the birds held high importance to the Hawaiian culture. Without the ʻIʻiwi or Mamo, Hawaiian history would look different. A Hawaiian historian and scholar, Samuel Mānaiakalani Kamakau wrote about Kamehameha I, “He ordered the sandalwood cutters to spare the young trees and, not to let the felled trees fall on the saplings. “Who are to have the young trees now that you are getting old?” he was asked and he answered, “When I die my chief and my children will inherit them.” He gave similar orders to bird catchers, canoe makers, weavers of feather capes, wood carvers, and fishermen” (Kamakau, 1961). Kamehameha I knew that if Hawaiians kept taking from the land, the land would have nothing left to give in the future. With the orders given the Kia Manu had to limit themselves and protect the birds for future generations to come. Collecting feathers as a Kia Manu is about respect. Respect for the land, respect for the king, respect for the gods, and respect for the life on the islands.
The ʻIʻiwi was not threatened until the 19th century. There were fifty species of honeycreeper that were endemic to Hawaii. Today we only see seventeen of those species and fifteen of those seventeen species are endangered. The ʻIʻiwi is not endangered but it is very close to becoming endangered due to the ʻIʻiwi’s population declining. The ʻIʻiwi became threatened due to many factors such as decreasing habitats, avian malaria, and Rapid ‘Ōhi’a Death. Avian malaria is a massive factor that plays a role in the decline of the ʻIʻiwi. Avian malaria came to Hawaii through imported birds in the early 20th century and it is spread by mosquitos that were brought in 1826. When an ʻIʻiwi contracts avian malaria the birds “Become chronically infected (and immune) for life and are believed to be important reservoirs for the disease” (Atkinson and Samuel, 622). Another factor that has been killing ʻIʻiwi is Rapid ‘Ōhi’a Death. Rapid ‘Ōhi’a Death is a fungal disease that is found on ‘Ōhi’a trees which ʻIʻiwi nest and feed off of. The fungal disease infects the ʻIʻiwi as it sips on nectar and kills the ʻIʻiwi soon after. Thousands of acres have been affected by Rapid ‘Ōhi’a Death which drives the ʻIʻiwi to either die or find new homes. Though the fungal disease is exclusive to the Big Island, 90% of ʻIʻiwis live on the Big Island which can severely influence the ʻIʻiwi’s decline. The other 10% of ʻIʻiwis live in Kaua‘i and Maui. With the ongoing spread of diseases and infections the ʻIʻiwis are losing habitats. The ʻIʻiwis will have to start moving towards highlands in mountains to stay alive but due to warmer temperatures mosquitos will start going to higher elevations as well. The ʻIʻiwi species is in a constant state of threat and will be endangered very soon if no actions are made to preserve the habitat and species.
Today we can find ʻIʻiwis on the Big Island, Kaua‘i, and Maui. There are about 350,000 ʻIʻiwis left and they are all found on mountains above 2000 ft. elevation. Organizations have been trying to exterminate mosquitos and protect habitats. By limiting urban development and relocating habitats to suitable temperatures the ʻIʻiwi can thrive once again. Joint research projects with the Department of Forestry and Wildlife Ecology and the Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center have helped Hawaiian rainforest birds by studying malaria patterns and helping the birds build immunity towards diseases. With ongoing research, the endemic birds of Hawaii can be saved. If you search for the rare ʻIʻiwi you might not see it, but you may hear it. Today we observe the species through its songs and calls in the rain forests. Hearing the whistles, creeks, and gurgles in the distance as the ʻIʻiwis try to call each other brings the whole decline into perspective. As the rain forests become quieter throughout the years, we will lose the last songs from the ʻIʻiwis and by the time it is silent it will be too late.
If you would like to help with the conservation and protection of the ʻIʻiwi these two organizations are helping the ʻIʻiwi survive.
https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/species/birds/iiwi/index.html
You don’t have to donate money. You can volunteer or you can simply plant a tree. These organizations are trying their best to keep the species alive and off the threatened list. Biological university also filed a lawsuit to make sure the ʻIʻiwi’s habitat is protected. If you would like to view the lawsuit
The ʻIʻiwi’s song
Wehewehe Hawaiian Definitions
ʻIʻiwi
1. Scarlet Hawaiian honey creeper (Vestiaria coccinea), found on all the main islands; its feathers were used extensively in feather work. Also ʻiwi, ʻiʻiwi pōlena, olokele. Cf. also ʻiʻiwi pōpolo and kikiwi. Ka mahiole ʻie i haku ʻia i ka hulu o nā ʻiʻiwi (Laie 479), plaited helmet made of ʻiʻiwi feathers.
Mamo
1. Black Hawaiian honey creeper (Drepanis pacifica): its yellow feathers above and below the tail were used in choicest feather work. Formerly found only on Hawaiʻi, not seen since the 1880s. A Molokaʻi species was Drepanis funerea, not seen since the 1890s; also, hoa and ʻōʻō nuku mū.
Kia Manu
n.v. Birdcatcher, birdcatching by gumming; to catch birds by gumming. Ea mai ke aliʻi kia manu, ua wehi i ka hulu o ka mamo (hula chant for Ka-lā-kaua), the birdcatching chief arises, adorned with the feathers of the mamo.
Lehua
1. n. The flower of the ʻōhiʻa tree (Metrosideros macropus, M. collina subsp. polymorpha); also the tree itself. The lehua is the flower of the island of Hawaiʻi, as designated in 1923 by the Territorial legislature; it is famous in song and tale. See nāpolupolu, pōkiʻi 1, ʻūpolu. Fig., a warrior, beloved friend or relative, sweetheart, expert (see lehua 9. The plant has many forms, from tall trees to low shrubs, leaves round to narrow and blunt or pointed and smooth or woolly. The flowers are red, rarely salmon, pink, yellow, or white. The wood is hard, good for flooring and furniture, formerly used for images, spears, mallets. (Neal 637–8.) It grows abundantly in wet areas (see ex., ʻūpolu). It was believed that picking lehua blossoms would cause rain. For rain and wind names associated with lehua see Kani-lehua, Kinai-lehua. Kini-maka-lehua, Kiu Wai Lehua, Līlī-lehua, Mouniani-lehua, Moe-lehua. See also lū lehua, Moaʻe Lehua, ʻōiwi 2 (chant). Cf. Marquesan heʻua (Lavondès, 1975, pp. 193–4.)
Nae
3. n. Fishing net with small meshes; net structure to which feathers were attached for feather capes. Also, naepuni, puni, ʻupena ʻōhua palemo.
Works Cited
https://www.audubon.org/news/the-iiwi-besieged-hawaiian-forest-bird-now-listed-threatened
https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/species/birds/iiwi/index.html
Emerson, N.B. The Bird-Hunters of Ancient Hawaii &Raquo Malama Mauna Kea Library Catalog. 2004. http://www.malamamaunakea.org/library/reference/index/refid/73-the-bird-hunters-of-ancient-hawaii.
Kamakau, Samuel. Ulukau, 1961, http://www.ulukau.org/elib/collect/makaala/index/assoc/D0.dir/doc39.pdf.
Liao et al. Mitigating Future Avian Malaria Threats to Hawaiian Forest Birds from Climate Change. 2017. PLOS one Research Article. http://web.a.ebscohost.com.eres.library.manoa.hawaii.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=1&sid=c79c43fd-fb59-4d39-a42c-bf5ce689b6da%40sdc-v-sessmgr02
Samuel et al. The epidemiology of avian pox and interaction with avian malaria in Hawaiian forest birds. 2018. Ecological Society of America. http://web.a.ebscohost.com.eres.library.manoa.hawaii.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=5&sid=232ed15f-22ea-4422-91fc-2e9a198b42e9%40sdc-v-sessmgr02
Indigenous Lands & Waters 