Birding
Day 1: Arrival and Introduction to Oahu
Your birding adventure begins with an arrival in Honolulu, Oahu. After settling into your accommodations in Waikiki, you will gather for a welcome dinner to meet fellow birders and prepare for the exciting days ahead.
The next morning, you will start your birding journey at Kapiolani Park, where you can spot the White Tern, Pacific Golden Plover, and a variety of introduced species such as Common Myna, Red-crested Cardinal, Red-vented Bulbul, and Rose-ringed Parakeet. The day will continue with a visit to the rainforests of the Koolau Mountains to search for the Oahu Amakihi and the endangered Oahu Elepaio.
Day 2: Birding Oahu's Rainforests and Coastal Valleys
This day is dedicated to exploring the rainforests and coastal valleys of Oahu. You will venture into the hills above Honolulu to find the Oahu Amakihi, an endemic honeycreeper. Later, you will visit a coastal forested valley to look for the Oahu Elepaio, an engaging and endangered species of Monarch Flycatcher. The valleys and forests will also yield sightings of other birds like the White-rumped Shama, Red-billed Leiothrix, and Warbling White-eyes.
Day 3: Flight to Big Island and Birding Along Saddle Road
After breakfast, you will take a flight to the Big Island. Here, you will start birding along Saddle Road, looking for the endemic subspecies of Short-eared Owl, as well as introduced species like Eurasian Skylark, Chukar, California Quail, Wild Turkey, Erckel’s Spurfowl, and Black and Gray francolins. The area around Waikoloa will also be explored for birds such as Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse, African Silverbill, and Red Avadavat. The evening will be spent in Kona, where you can enjoy the lush plantings around your hotel, which are good for a variety of introduced birds.
Day 4: Birding Big Island's Native Wet Forests
This day will be spent exploring the Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge, a site renowned for its diversity of Hawaiian honeycreepers. Here, you will search for unique birds such as the Hawaii Creeper, Hilo morph of the HawaiʻiʻElepaio, the gorgeous day-glow orange Ākepa, the stunning long-billed ʻAkiapolaʻau, and the Hawaiian Hawk. The ancient Ohia trees, with their bright red blossoms, will attract beautiful I’iwi, Hawaii Amakihi, and ʻApapane. This reserve is also home to many of Hawaii’s endangered plants and native arthropods.
Day 5: Pelagic Birding and Flight to Kauai
The morning will begin with a pelagic birding trip from Honokohau Harbour, where you will look for a wide array of seabirds including Black and Brown Noddies, Sooty Tern, Wedge-tailed and Sooty Shearwaters, and Bulwer’s Petrel. You may also encounter rarer species like Masked Booby, Hawaiian Petrel, and various petrel species. After the pelagic trip, you will fly to Lihue, Kauai, and spend the evening exploring the North Shore, including the Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge, where you can see Red-footed and Brown Boobies, Red-tailed and White-tailed Tropicbirds, and Great Frigatebirds. This area is also home to Hawaii’s state bird, the Nene, and the Hawaiian Duck.