VENT. Spring Hawaii 3/5/2025-3/15/2025

ebird.org/tripreport/338239

Our annual Spring Hawaii tour is an exciting adventure—a birding treasure hunt every day, while exploring the charm of three special Hawaiian islands. Native and endemic species are a focus. As in past years, this year’s tour was filled with so many incredible moments, highlights, and many fun surprises on the way.

Pacific Golden-Plover © Erik Bruhnke

Fantastic dining is one of the many charms of this tour, most often with a special taste of the area’s options. On our first evening together, it was fun to see each other and connect about the fun times to come over a delicious welcoming dinner. Our first morning started off on a fun note, as we enjoyed a kaleidoscope of birds in the park right next to our hotel. Seeing Pacific Golden-Plovers strutting around the grass was wonderful, each in their own stage of molting towards breeding plumage. Like all the birds to come, we took time to appreciate and enjoy them, day by day. Rose-ringed Parakeets called overhead as Red-vented Bulbuls called back and forth in the canopies. A big tour highlight was very close to us at the park . . . White Terns. They were flying overhead, many carrying little fish. We even found several that were on a branch, with one pair actively nesting on the branch they were grasping. It was awesome to see this incredible species right away.

Nesting White Tern © Erik Bruhnke

Later in the day we headed to Wiliwilinui Trail, where we scored views of the endemic Oahu Amakihi. White-rumped Shamas caroled along the trail. After a fun lunch (while being serenaded by Zebra Doves), we enjoyed looking at masses of Sooty Terns, both Red-footed and Brown boobies, and Red-tailed Tropicbirds.

Oahu Amakihi © Erik Bruhnke

We ended our day with another big target, the endemic and endangered Oahu Elepaio. While watching this incredible sight, we noticed it was building a nest! We felt so fortunate to not only witness this but to hear the bird whistling-while-it-worked. An Oahu Amakihi sang overhead while this took place. Oahu magic. We were speechless.

Oahu Elepaio © Erik Bruhnke

The next day was our final full day on Oahu, and after a festive breakfast, we made our way to do some golf course birding. Before lunch we scored incredible views of a Bristle-thighed Curlew, one of our big targets on the island. It was fun to teach about this amazing species and its way of life, also noting—for those who join our tours in Nome—that this bird nests within that region of Alaska and is a target bird of that tour! A Laysan Albatross perused the air as the curlew gently walked by. After some special farm-to-table dining, we made our way to the southern tier of the island, where we saw birds like Hawaiian Coot, Black-crowned Night Heron, and African Silverbills to name a few.

Bristle-thighed Curlew © Erik Bruhnke

The next morning, we headed to Kauai, where new birds and new vistas awaited us. We started off with wonderful views of beautiful Nene, trotting along a grassy stretch. This state bird of Hawaii brought smiles to our faces as we watched them gently feeding and calling together. A kaleidoscope of seabirds swirled in front of us at Kilauea Point NWR. Both White-tailed and Red-tailed tropicbirds were seen very well, and the nearby-nesting Red-footed Boobies did not disappoint. We saw them flying around and at their nests while a few were actively building. It’s a thrilling birding rush to experience this overlook. A visit to Hanalei NWR offered great views of many more birds, including seven Koloa (Hawaiian Ducks)! We took time to scan for and appreciate breaching Humpback Whales and a distant Wedge-tailed Shearwater on the drive to our oceanside hotel. What an exciting day!

Red-footed Booby © Erik Bruhnke

We made our way to Koke’e State Park the next day, where the intermittent rain was no match for us having a great time. The earlier part of the morning was rain-free, and we had views of a Black Francolin and White-tailed Tropicbirds on the drive uphill. Our first-of-the-tour Apapane chattered in the parking lots and along our walks. As our walk continued, we had views of TWO Anianiau, a briefly seen Kauai Amakihi, and several adorable Kauai Elepaio, all endemic to the island. It was incredible.

Red-tailed Tropicbird © Erik Bruhnke

The next morning, we flew to the Big Island, starting off with some water treatment birding. From Yellow-billed Cardinals and Ruddy Turnstones to Laughing Gulls and a Gray Francolin (to name just a few of the many species we saw), it was a cool mix of birds in our presence. Amazing views of resting Honu (Green Sea Turtles) followed. It was special to see these endangered turtles relaxing in a safe area. Red-masked Parakeets flew over just before we headed to lunch. In the afternoon we saw nesting Rosy-faced Lovebirds, two Northern Mockingbirds, and a few of us glimpsed flying Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse. After some down time at our beautiful lodging for the next few nights, we made our way to dinner. Kevin and I commented that our meal that night was possibly one of the best meals we’ve ever had, hands-down; being locally-sourced with wonderful presentation and flavors was well noted throughout our dinner, enjoyed by all.

A striking Hawaii Elepaio in Hakalau NWR © Erik Bruhnke

On our first full day on the Big Island we explored Hakalau National Wildlife Refuge, while working with our friends Gary and John of Hawaii Forest and Trail. They are fantastic birders and quite the master naturalists of the area, and it was wonderful to team up with them again. Several Erckel’s Spurfowl were seen on the drive to this legendary woodland, home to many native species (several are island endemics). Our visit to Hakalau was without a doubt another top-tier highlight of the tour, and with patience, we saw all of the hoped-for targets of this magical, native landscape. I’iwi greeted us with their “honky” notes, while the Hawaii Amakihi trilled nearby. We got to see a family of Alawi (Hawaii Creepers) foraging together, their adorable young keeping close feeding-distance from their parents. Further down the trail we enjoyed seeing several male and female Hawaii Akepa feeding throughout the uppermost canopy, their favorite part of the trees. Omao, the Hawaiian Thrush, gurgled and sang around us, and several charming Hawaii Elepaio came into view, too. It was so wild and so very zen all at the same time. We were fortunate to be within this intact, sacred ground, home of these birds and native plants, too.

Hawaii Akepa feeding in an Ohia tree © Erik Bruhnke

After a fun picnic lunch and seeing a dark morph Io (Hawaiian Hawk) flying through the clouds, we looked and listened carefully . . . and found the very rare Akiapolaau pecking nearby Koa trees. More Hawaiian magic. We scored views of a Pueo (Hawaiian Short-eared Owl) as we headed home.

We had one more morning with Gary and John, with plenty of fun and nature-exploration on the way. We headed up to Pu’u La’au, and although the declining Palila didn’t show, we were in the presence of at least 28 Hawaii Amakihi, several Io (Hawaiian Hawk), and Eurasian Skylarks displaying. We talked a great deal about conservation. A shout-out and thank you to Gary and John for the continued year after year friendship, great birding camaraderie, and wonderful experiences when working together. Later in the day we headed to Hilo, our home for the latter part of the tour.

After a tasty Hawaiian breakfast, we made our way to do some pond birding throughout Hilo. We set our sights on several very cooperative Saffron Finches that seemed to glow in the morning light and spotted a Belted Kingfisher feeding over a pond with Northern Shoveler, Nene, a Blue-winged Teal, and American Wigeon. The duck diversity is interesting among the Hawaiian Islands, to say the least. A Snow Goose was a treat shortly after that, as a Wandering Tattler fed on the rocks. A fantastic bakery visit fueled our afternoon of birding; we enjoyed a Northern Pintail, Black-necked Stilts, and a vast black sands beach with an array of resting Honu along the radiant blue surf.

On our last day we visited Volcanoes National Park, another well-noted spectacle and tour highlight. Throughout the day we hiked through an old lava tube within the ground, followed by exploration of lava fields and discussion about the lava types. The Apapane and Omao sang around us throughout the day, and viewing the unique, bold-orange feet on the nesting Black Noddies along the coast was a treat. Following the recent eruptions leading up to the timing of this year’s tour, we found a bunch of Pele’s tears and Pele’s hair (special lava formations) among the lava fields.

There is so much color and life to enjoy every day of this tour, and we had a fantastic time with the many native and endemic birds. Mahalo to everyone for being on our tour, and Mahalo Hawaii for the amazing experience. I had a great time leading this tour with Kevin Burke, one of many tours we’ve led together. I’m already looking forward to next year’s Spring Hawaii tour!

A complete list of the birds recorded on our tour can be found at: https://ebird.org/tripreport/338239

Read the description for the next departure of this tour.

View Erik Bruhnke's upcoming tour schedule.

View Kevin Burke's upcoming tour schedule.

Common Name	Scientific Name
Waterfowl	Anatidae

Snow Goose	Anser caerulescens	We found one goose at Wailoa River State Recreation Area
Hawaiian Goose (Nene) (E)	Branta sandvicensis	Wonderful experiences with this delightful state bird of Hawaii. Seen up-close with young, on the north side of Kauai at various locations, and throughout the Big Island. We saw a total of 63 throughout the tour!
Blue-winged Teal	Spatula discors	Quite scarce for this tour, we found one at Lokowaka Pond
Northern Shoveler	Spatula clypeata	We found a big gathering at Kealakehe Wastewater Treatment Plant, and at Lokowaka Pond
American Wigeon	Mareca americana	One seen at Lokowaka Pond
Hawaiian Duck (Koloa) (E)	Anas wyvilliana	Nice study of this species at Hanalei NWR
Mallard	Anas platyrhynchos	Seen several times around the coastal areas/wetlands of Oahu, and also seen on the Big Island
Northern Pintail	Anas acuta	We found a gathering of them at Kealakehe Wastewater Treatment Plant and also one at Whittington Beach Park
Canvasback	Aythya valisineria	We found one at Aimakapa Pond, an uncommon duck species for the tour
Ring-necked Duck	Aythya collaris	Several seen at Aimakapa Pond
Greater Scaup	Aythya marila	One seen among a flock of Lesser Scaup
Lesser Scaup	Aythya affinis	A flock seen at Aimakapa Pond
Pheasants, Grouse & Allies	Phasianidae
Erckel's Spurfowl	Pternistis erckelii	Impressive birds, we saw a total of nine throughout Old Saddle Road and also heard from the Pu'u La'au area
Black Francolin (I)	Francolinus francolinus	Our first francolin of the tour, the most challenging one to see. Found along Waimea Canyon area
Gray Francolin (I)	Francolinus pondicerianus	Seen Kealakehe Wastewater Treatment Plant and also around Waikoloa Skatepark
Red Junglefowl (I)	Gallus gallus (Domestic type)	We found a gathering at Koke'e State Park
Ring-necked Pheasant (I)	Phasianus colchicus	Observed along Old Saddle Road
Kalij Pheasant (I)	Lophura leucomelanos	A stunning species, seen up close while exploring Hakalau National Wildlife Refuge
Wild Turkey (I)	Meleagris gallopavo	Seen several times among an array of open areas throughout the Big Island
Pigeons and Doves	Columbidae
Rock Pigeon (Feral)(I)	Columba livia	Observed near-daily throughout the tour
Spotted Dove (I)	Spilopelia chinensis	Seen every day of the tour
Zebra Dove (I)	Geopelia striata	Seen nearly every day of the tour.
Mourning Dove (I)	Zenaida macroura	Uncommon, we found one at Waikoloa Skatepark
Sandgrouse	Pteroclidae
Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse (I)	Pterocles exustus	Very brief flyby at Waikoloa Skatepark
Rails, Gallinules & Coots	Rallidae
Common Gallinule (Hawaiian)	Gallinula galeata sandvicensis	Great to see them on three days of the tour, throughout Oahu and Kauai
Hawaiian Coot (E)	Fulica alai	Common, seen on all three islands among various bodies of water
Stilts & Avocets	Recurvirostridae
Black-necked Stilt (Hawaiian)	Himantopus mexicanus knudseni	Wonderful study of this species among bodies of water on all three islands. Gorgeous, and neat to see how dark-toned their complexion is.
Plovers and Lapwings	Charadriidae
Pacific Golden-Plover	Pluvialis fulva	Common and gorgeous, seen daily. A treat to see among so many grassy areas.
Sandpipers & Allies	Scolopacidae
Bristle-thighed Curlew	Numenius tahitiensis	We saw one very well at Kahuku Golf Course. A thrill to see, and with some patience, seen cooperatively feeding quite close to us
Wandering Tattler	Tringa incana	Seen on all three islands, uncommon but present on the right rocky shores
Ruddy Turnstone	Arenaria interpres	Fairly common, seen in various parks and ponds around Oahu and the Big Island
Sanderling	Calidris alba	We found a gathering of them at the Kealakehe water treatment plant
Gulls, Terns & Skimmers	Laridae
Laughing Gull	Leucophaeus atricilla	Seen among the Kealakehe water treatment plant bird gatherings
White Tern	Gygis alba	Fabulous experience with this species, right across from our starting hotel in Oahu. Great to see them nesting and flying around with food. A few were also seen from Lana'I Lookout. A highlight for many on the tour!
Black Noddy (melanogenys)	Anous minutus melanogenys	Seen at Whittington Beach and in Hawai'I Volcanoes National Park. Their orange feet are such a neat feature, of this already beautiful species!
Sooty Tern	Onychoprion fuscatus	Incredible views of hundreds of them, while birding the southeastern coast of Oahu
Tropicbirds	Phaethontidae
White-tailed Tropicbird	Phaethon lepturus	Seen well from Kilauea Point NWR and also seen well throughout our second day's travel throughout Kauai
Red-tailed Tropicbird	Phaethon rubricauda	Seen from the southeastern coast of Oahu and also very well from Kilauea Point NWR. Their acrobatics and displays, seen at eye-level at times, were incredible!
Albatrosses	Diomedeidae
Laysan Albatross	Phoebastria immutabilis	Seen well from Kahuku Golf Course and also while birding throughout the edges of Kauai. What a fantastic species, a springtime highlight!
Shearwaters & Petrels	Procellariidae
Wedge-tailed Shearwater	Ardenna pacifica	One seen at a distance from Kealia Scenic Lookout, while Humpback Whales were breaching! A magical moment
Frigatebirds	Fregatidae
Great Frigatebird	Fregata minor	Seen from the southeastern coast of Oahu, and very well from Kilauea Point NWR!
Boobies & Gannets	Sulidae
Red-footed Booby	Sula sula	At least 200 seen at Kilauea Point NWR, a special highlight for many! Seen both nesting and flying. Also seen around other areas of Kauai shoreline and along the southeastern coast of Oahu. It was fun to see a few behind our hotel on Kauai!
Brown Booby	Sula leucogaster	Two were seen from Makapu'u Point
Herons, Egrets & Bitterns	Ardeidae
Black-crowned Night Heron	Nycticorax nycticorax	Common throughout the tour, seen many days of the tour when ponds/sheltered shoreline were available.
Western Cattle Egret (I)	Bubulcus ibis	Very common, seen daily.
Hawks, Eagles & Kites	Accipitridae
Hawaiian Hawk (Io) (E)	Buteo solitarius	A fantastic raptor, seen three times throughout our time on the Big Island (great to see this endemic). It was a treat to see a dark morph soaring through clouds at Hakalau
Owls	Strigidae
Short-eared Owl (Pueo)	Asio flammeus	We found one flying very cooperatively and hunting along the Old Saddle Road.
Kingfishers	Alcedinidae
Belted Kingfisher	Megaceryle alcyon	We found one at Lokowaka Pond, finding plenty of fish
Old World Parrots	Psittaculidae
Rose-ringed Parakeet (I)	Psittacula krameri	We saw many at Kapiolani Park, a big morning movement on the way up along Waimea Canyon, and a few while exploring the Kauai Coffee Company
Rosy-faced Lovebird (I)	Agapornis roseicollis	We found them nesting in a tree in Waikoloa Village
African & New World Parrots Psittacidae
Red-masked Parakeet (I)	Psittacara erythrogenys	Four seen around Aimakapa Pond
Monarch Flycatchers	Monarchidae
Hawaii Elepaio (E)	Chasiempis sandwichensis
Hawaii Elepaio (Hilo Coast)	C. sandwichensis ridgwayi	Five seen sell at Hakalau NWR. Amazing little birds!
Kauai Elepaio (E)	Chasiempis sclateri	Charming as ever, we got to see three through intermittent rain!
Oahu Elepaio (E)	Chasiempis ibidis	The rarest of the Elepaios. We found a nest, and witnessed one building a nest before our eyes. Pure Hawaiian magic, a special highlight for all of us! We were left speechless with smiles.
Larks	Alaudidae
Eurasian Skylark (I)	Alauda arvensis	Seen well while on the Big Island, among various grassy areas
Bush Warblers & Allies	Scotocercidae
Japanese Bush Warbler (I)	Horornis diphone	Brief views, however they were heard loud n' clear on several days of the tour
Bulbuls	Pycnonotidae
Red-vented Bulbul (I)	Pycnonotus cafer	Common throughout our time on Oahu
Red-whiskered Bulbul (I)	Pycnonotus jocosus	Uncommon, seen at Wiliwilinui Trail and also at Kahuku Golf Course
White-eyes, Yuhinas & Allies	Zosteropidae
Warbling White-eye (I)	Zosterops japonicus	Common, observed every day of the tour
Laughingthrushes & Allies	Leiothrichidae
Chinese Hwamei (I)	Garrulax canorus	Observed at Koke'e State Park and heard well at Kauai Coffee Company
Red-billed Leiothrix (I)	Leiothrix lutea	Many heard and some seen well too, among Wiliwilinui Trail, Hakalau Forest NWR, and the Pu'u La'au area
Mockingbirds & Thrashers	Mimidae
Northern Mockingbird (I)	Mimus polyglottos	Uncommon/patchy at most for the tour. We found four of them, throughout Kauai and the Big Island!
Starlings	Sturnidae
Common Myna (I)	Acridotheres tristis	Very common, seen every day of the tour
Thrushes & Allies	Turdidae
Omao (Hawaiian Thrush) (E)	Myadestes obscurus	Fabulous bird, seen and heard well at Hakalau NWR. One of the magical highlights of our visit to the refuge that day.
Old World Flycatchers	Muscicapidae
White-rumped Shama (I)	Copsychus malabaricus	We enjoyed the views and melodious song of them along Wiliwilinui Trail, also around Kapapapuhi Point Park
Waxbills & Allies	Estrildidae
African Silverbill (I)	Euodice cantans	Uncommon and patchy in roaming flocks. We saw them at Kapapapuhi Point Park and at Waikoloa Skatepark
Java Sparrow (I)	Padda oryzivora	Robust and flashy little birds, seen on four days of the tour among various areas, including right in front of our starting hotel!
Scaly-breasted Munia (I)	Lonchura punctulata	We found one at Whittington Beach Park
Chestnut Munia (I)	Lonchura atricapilla	We found several flocks while birding throughout Kauai
Common Waxbill (I)	Estrilda astrild	Tiny birds with vibrant accents, seen scattered among vast grassy areas and noted on four days of the tour.
Old World Sparrows	Passeridae
House Sparrow (I)	Passer domesticus	Seen every day of the tour
Finches, Euphonias & Allies	Fringillidae
Apapane (E)	Himatione sanguinea	Wonderful views of this stunning species. Seen at Koke'e State Park, Hakalau NWR, and throughout Volcanoes National Park. What a bird!
Iiwi (E)	Drepanis coccinea	We had many show-stealing moments with Iiwi at Hakalau NWR. So striking and quite chatty, among the other native birds there.
Akiapolaau (E)	Hemignathus wilsoni	Great views of this scarce species. We found one readily chiseling-out food from the Koa trees at Hakalau NWR.
Anianiau (E)	Magumma parva	We found two at Koke'e State Park
Hawaii Amakihi (E) (Hawaii)	Chlorodrepanis virens virens	It was great to see all three Amakihi species. We had great views of Hawaii Amakihi throughout the wild areas of the Big Island
Oahu Amakihi (E)	Chlorodrepanis flava	Oahu Amakihi was seen and heard well (it fed and called right over us) on our first morning on Oahu!
Kauai Amakihi (E)	Chlorodrepanis stejnegeri	An uncommon Amakihi species, seen and heard while visiting Koke'e State Park
Hawaii Creeper (E) (Alawi)	Loxops mana	We observed NINE Alawi while birding Hakalau NWR!
Hawaii Akepa (E)	Loxops coccineus	We saw and heard five of these fabulous little birds, at Hakalau NWR!
House Finch (I)	Haemorhous mexicanus	Observed most days of the tour
Yellow-fronted Canary (I)	Crithagra mozambica	Seen occasionally feeding on the grassy areas in little flocks, noted on four days of the tour
Troupials & Allies	Icteridae
Western Meadowlark (I)	Sturnella neglecta	Heard well, while birding the northern edge of Kauai
Cardinals & Allies	Cardinalidae
Northern Cardinal (I)	Cardinalis cardinalis	Common, observed every day.
Tanagers & Allies	Thraupidae
Red-crested Cardinal (I)	Paroaria coronata	Common throughout Oahu and Kauai
Yellow-billed Cardinal (I)	Paroaria capitata	Seen well among a variety of environments and locations on the Big Island
Saffron Finch (I)	Sicalis flaveola	Observed most days of the tour, vibrant little birds they are!


MAMMALS
Mongooses	Herpestidae
Small Indian Mongoose	Herpestes javanicus	Seen once on Oahu, and several times throughout the latter stretch of the tour on the Big Island
Pigs	Suidae
Wild Boar (Feral Pig)	Sus Scrofa	We saw them on three different days, including a "conga line" of piglets through the grass.
Bison, Sheep & Goats	Bovidae
Feral Sheep	Ovis aries	Observed on two days of exploring the Big Island
Feral Goat	Capra aegagrus hircus	Observed on three days of exploring the Big Island.
Rorqual Whales	Balaenopteridae
Humpback Whale	Megaptera novaeangliae	Scoped at a distance, we had lots of fun viewing several breaching Humpback Whales off the east shore of Kauai, among some seabirds moving around too.


INSECTS
Butterflies
Blackburn's Blue (E)	Udara blackburni	Seen once on the Big Island. So exciting to see this beautiful, endemic butterfly species
Monarch	Danaus plexippus	Seen several times throughout Oahu and the Big Island
Cabbage White	Pieris rapae	Seen once, on the Big Island
Red Admiral	Vanessa atalanta
Dragonflies
Common Green Darner	Anax junius	Seen several times on Oahu


REPTILES/AMPHIBIANS
Green Sea Turtle (Honu)	Chelonia mydas	Amazing experience with the Honu, seen very well on both the west coast and southeast coast of the Big Island. It is such a treat to see them basking on the beach!
Gold Dust Day Gecko	Phelsuma laticauda	Seen and heard on both Oahu and the Big Island
Coqui Frog	Eleutherodactylus coqui	Heard calling frequently at night around our hotel in Hilo.
Jackson's Chameleon	Chamaeleo jacksonii	We were surprised to see one, found while birding on Oahu