Company Symbol
O’ahu Nature Tours chose the scarlet I’iwi (Drepanis Coccinea) to be the company’s symbol because of its great beauty and uniqueness. The adult I’iwi is mostly a brilliant red, vermillion, color. In contrast, it has black wings and tail. The I’iwi uses its long curved, salmon-colored bill to drink nectar. This bird is the last surviving species in the Drepanis genus. Furthermore, it is the icon for the Hawaiian Honeycreepers.
History and Future of the I’iwi
The I’iwi was abundant on O’ahu. It had an estimated population of over 100,000 over a thousand years ago. However, the arrival of people had a negative impact on the species. The population numbers dropped due to the value of its feathers. Native Hawaii bird-catchers caught I’iwi using nets and sticky sap from a variety of plants. They used the bright red feathers to make: capes, cloaks, leis, as well as images of their gods. In addition, many of the birds were eaten after the feathers were plucked.
The introduction of pests and disease in the early 1800’s had devastating effects on the I’iwi. Rats, mosquitoes, and avian malaria were detrimental to the species. The rats climbed the trees to eat the I’iwi eggs, and chicks. Likewise, the mosquitoes bit chickens and non-native birds that were hosts for avian malaria and then bit the I’iwi. The I’iwi suffered due to its lack of immunity.
The I’iwi population plummeted. They became extremely rare by the 1930’s. Only a few birds existed in the remote forests on the Koolau and Waianae volcanoes between 1980-2000. Two birds were observed on O’ahu between 2010-2016. The I’iwi was declared a threatened species by the U.S fish and Wildlife Service in 2016. It will most likely become extinct on O’ahu in the next few years.
(Pyle, R.L., and P.Pyle. 2017. The Birds of the Hawaiian Islands: Occurrence, History, Distribution, and Status. B.P. Bishop Museum, Honolulu, HI, U.S.A. Version 2. 1 January)