Backyard Update #7: Hawaiian Birds

Hawaiian Birds

by Emily

In Hawaii I saw many different birds there.  I bought a few bird books/guides to help with the birds. There were definitely many city pigeons there, or Rock Doves. All the wild birds I saw there were Alien species, (species brought to Hawaii by man) but one bird. I guess they aren't really Hawaiian.

One of the many birds we saw in Hawaii is the Zebra Dove. They were all around like pigeons.

Spotted Doves were everywhere too.

Common Myna. They remind me of a robin, of how it's always looking around in the grass. Also a crow because they seemed to act like them too.

While we were in Waimea Falls, we headed back to the parking lot and there was a female Common Peafowl. (Also known as Blue or Indian Peafowl).

It was just hanging out in that certain parking space.

Then it just plopped itself right down to relax.

We also had the chance to see our first cardinals. They were Red-Crested Cardinals.

Common Waxbill

 We actually did see chickens wandering about. Red Junglefowl.

Java Sparrow

 Red-Vented Bulbul

Black-Necked Swan (found in South America)

Cattle Egret

The Hawaiian Moorhen is an endangered animal in Hawaii and lives only in Hawaii. If you look closely, you can see some leg bands on this moorhen, which is good news. (subspecies of Common Moorhen)


We also saw many House Sparrows and House Finches in Hawaii. So in all, I saw 17 species of wild birds. Now I am going to tell you about all the captive birds that were on the Hilton Hawaiian Village Property. All the birds are used to people so we can see them up close.

 There was a large cage with a Laughing Thrush inside.

 There was an African Blackfooted Penguin Exhibit.

Many Sacred Ibis were in an exhibit nearby. They are on the edge of the exhibit, but sometimes they wonder off to where the pathway is so people can see them up close.

African Lesser Flamingo

Scarlet Macaw

Blue and Gold Macaw

 I saw two Black-Crowned Night Herons at the exhibit. I'm not sure if they were captive or not. It was a good food source because of all the fish there.

It's way of hunting is really cool to see.  It is very patient. It stays in one spot...

...extends its head forward a little more after a while...

...extends its head even more...

...then attack! It jumps right in the water to grab a fish. 

Job Well done.

Then it finds another spot to hunt.

Wood Ducks
There were also many other ducks and flamingos in the same area.

 Feeding the Wood Ducks

 Also many doves like to hang out there too.

At the International Marketplace, a man had his pet Cockatiels. It climbed on to my mom's arm and we fed it some of the seed it came with. 

So in all I saw 13 captive bird species. Of all the birds I saw in Hawaii, I saw 20 species.

Almost all are lifers.