The month of April marks peak breeding season (nest building and incubation) for many Hawaiian forest birds.
Courtship and pair-bonding can begin as early as September, like the Maui ʻākohekohe, while the Maui ʻalauahio sometimes wait to start pairing as late as March. A pair’s decision to nest greatly depends on environmental conditions like mate selection, and resources like food availability. Not all birds breed annually.
Once bonded, pairs quickly begin nest-building, with females usually leading the design and work. Construction takes about one to two weeks, after which the first egg could be laid immediately – or after about a week for ʻiʻiwi and ʻōmaʻo.
Some species nest in tree cavities. Hawaiʻi ʻākepa tuck into the scars and crevices of large koa trees, and sometimes ʻōmaʻo will find themselves in the soft pockets of hāpuʻu. Many small birds build open-top cup nests lined with soft materials, typically oval, and suspended among dense forest branches. The inner cup, just large enough to hold a golf ball, is woven tightly to protect its valuable assets.
Nest materials vary by species. Some recycle sticks and fibers from old nests. Palila and ʻapapane sometimes reuse old nests of neighboring ʻamakihi and ʻōmaʻo, respectively. Kauaʻi ʻakekeʻe use many layers of soft mosses and lichens, while ʻākohekohe and ʻapapane build high in the ʻōhiʻa canopy, weaving in ʻōhiʻa twigs, lehua stamens, pūkiawe sprigs, fern rootlets, ʻōlapa stems, a variety of grasses and sedges, and much more.
Females lay about 1-2 eggs per clutch, each tiny – weighing about 1-2 grams – in shades of speckled cream and hazy gray. Both parents usually feed and care for the hatchlings even after they fledge, or leave the nest, at around three weeks.
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