#laysanfinch

Day 18 of Avian August 2025, Birds of Hawaii, hosted by @cookiedoves: Laysan finch (Telespiza cantans) The Laysan Finch is an important part of the ecosystem in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, primarily on Laysan. They are opportunistic feeders, sometimes eating seabird eggs when resources are scarce. Their main food sources include insects, fruits, and seeds. One seed that helps sustain the Laysan Finch population is that of the yellow ʻilima (Sida fallax), a native Hawaiian shrub whose flower is traditionally used in lei-making. In return for the meal, the bird helps disperse the seeds of the shrub, as well as those of many other Hawaiian plants.