Photo: Akekeʻe dissecting psyllid galls
Akekeʻe dissecting psyllid galls on ʻōhiʻa (Metrosideros polymorpha) leaves. Similar in appearance to ʻamakihi (Chlorodrepanis virens) but lacking their distinctive black eye mask and black downturned bill. - Photo: Ann Tanimoto Johnson/ LOHE Lab

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ʻO ke akekeʻe (Loxops caeruleirostris) kekahi o ʻelua mau manu mūkīkī ʻane pau halapohe ʻino ma Kauaʻi o Manokalanipō, ʻo ka ʻakikiki kekahi, a ke lele ʻāhiu nei ua manu nei i ka nahele ʻo Kōkeʻe ma ka ʻaoʻao hikina o Alakaʻi. He 150 mau makahiki i hala aku nei, ua ʻaʻa wiwoʻole ke Kuini Emma ma ia mau pali lihilihi a me ka naele kupaianaha o Kōkeʻe, a he huakaʻi ia i kaulana ai ka nani a me ka like ʻole o ke ao kūlohelohe ma ia ʻāina, a puni ka honua.

He loea peʻe ua manu akekeʻe nei, ʻaʻole ʻike a lohe ʻia hoʻi e nā kānaka kilo manu. Ma ke emi ʻana o nā manu, aia ke loli nei nā kani o ua mau manu mūkīkī Kauaʻi nei i ʻano kū like kekahi me kekahi. I kapa ʻia paha ke akekeʻe no ke keʻe hoʻi o kona nuku, a he hana maʻamau i ia manu ka huli ʻana i ka ʻai ma nā poʻo kumu lāʻau. Me ke ā kekeʻe, me he lāʻau Kepanī lā hoʻi, e kaha ai ua manu nei i nā puʻu lau a nā uku kau lāʻau. I loko nō o ka pilina o ke akekeʻe i ka manu ʻākepa, pūnana ka manu ʻākepa i nā poho kumu koa, a pūnana naʻe hoʻi ke akekeʻe i ka limu ʻāina, a alu like hoʻi ka paʻa akekeʻe i ke kūkulu ʻana kā lāua pūnana iho.