Akekee

About the Akekee

Also known as: ‘Akeke‘e, Kauai Akepa, Ou-holowai

The Akekee is a species of Hawaiian finch. This honeycreeper is endemic to the Hawaiian island of Kaua'i. The name is also spelled ‘Akeke‘e.

These pretty little green-yellow birds have a black mask around the eye. This feature is more prominent in male birds. They grey bill has a bluish tint.

The Akekee is a type of Hawaiian honeycreeper finch, and has a specialized bill for feeding on insects it finds inside buds. Akekees also feed on tree nectar.

Details & Statistics

Added to Birdorable

Hatched 29 March 2014

Scientific Name

Loxops caeruleirostris

Order:

Passeriformes

Family:

Fringillidae

Genus:

Loxops

Species:

L. caeruleirostris

Bird Family

Finches & Friends

Conservation Status

Critically Endangered (as of 4 April 2020)

Least Concern (LC)
Near Threatened (NT)
Vulnerable (VU)
Endangered (EN)
Critically Endangered (CR)
Extinct in the Wild (EW)
Extinct (EX)

Source: IUCN Red List

Measurements

Length:

3.9 inches

(9.9 cm)

Weight:

.39 ounces

(11.1 grams)

Range

Conservation

The Akekee is listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List and was last assessed in 2015 by BirdLife International. This species is classified as Critically Endangered owing to an extremely rapid decline in population size over the last ten years. Urgent action is required to halt the decline of this species, which until relatively recently was considered not uncommon.