Day 30 of Avian August 2025, Birds of Hawaii, hosted by @cookiedoves: KÄkÄwahie or MolokaŹ»i creeper (Paroreomyza flammea)
The males of these little Hawaiian honeycreepers were once described as looking like a ball of flame. Their brilliant red plumage made them easy to spot in MolokaŹ»iās wet montane forests. Sadly, the last confirmed sighting was on the Ź»ÅhiŹ»alele Plateau in 1963, and the species has since been declared extinct.
KÅpiko, or forest wild coffee (Psychotria mariniana), is a tree endemic to HawaiŹ»i. It still grows in the same montane forests the kÄkÄwahie once called home. Though the two species didnāt rely on each other directly, itās likely that the honeycreeper foraged among the treeās branches and collected pieces for nesting material.
