The Apapane (Himatione sanguinea) is a small, crimson Hawaiian honeycreeper with black wings and tail, a white abdomen, and a large, decurved bluish-black beak. It inhabits mesic and wet native forests dominated by ‘ohi‘a trees on the windward sides of the main Hawaiian Islands, typically at elevations around 1,250 meters. Listen for melodic trills and whistles in the early morning or late afternoon to locate this agile, nectar-feeding bird.
Learn to identify
Adult Apapane perched in Kokee State Park, Kauai, Hawaii.
Learning lesson · openly licensed photographs, labelled by BirdBot; labels checked against the cited sources and approved by AI
Short, curved black bill: shorter than the bill of the similar Iiwi. Crimson body: smaller and darker red than the Iiwi. Black wings and tail: black primaries and tail feathers. White under the tail: white lower belly and undertail coverts. Red plus a white vent: Apapane.
Juveniles are duller, gray and olive-brown, with the same white vent.
Sources: All About Birds (Cornell Lab of Ornithology): Apapane identification · Wikipedia: ʻApapane (revision 1332447706)
Photo: ALAN SCHMIERER from southeast AZ, USA, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons; labels added by BirdBot.
While the species profile above covers the core plumage and beak structure, the Apapane’s field presence is defined by its agility. It is a mobile bird that rarely touches the ground, preferring to perch in trees or fly. A key field cue is its finch-like flight pattern: a few rapid wingbeats upward followed by a slight descent on closed wings. This erratic, agile movement in the canopy helps distinguish it from other perching birds. Juveniles are notably different from adults, possessing gray to brown buff plumage that covers most of their bodies, though they share the white undertail-coverts of their parents.
Apapanes are closely tied to the ‘ohi‘a tree (Metrosideros polymorpha), their primary food source. They inhabit mesic and wet native forests on the windward sides of the main Hawaiian Islands, where rainfall typically ranges from 700 to 1,000 mm annually. While they have been observed as low as 120 meters, they typically reside at elevations around 1,250 meters, where food availability is stable.
Apapanes are social outside the breeding season, traveling in small flocks. Their social hierarchy is distinct: they are subordinate to dominant honeycreepers like the ‘I‘iwi and crested honeycreeper. This dynamic often pushes Apapanes to forage and nest in less desirable habitat patches, a key factor in understanding their distribution within the forest. Their home range is flexible, expanding or contracting based on food availability; they remain in specific areas when resources are abundant but will move to more bountiful zones when they decrease. Foraging activity is highest during the first and last two hours of the day.
The Apapane is primarily nectivorous. Its main food source is the nectar of the ‘ohi‘a tree, but it also feeds on nectar from Koa, naio, mamane, kolea, alani, kanawao, koki‘o ke‘oke‘o, and ‘olapa. They have also been observed feeding on coconut palms and introduced umbrella trees. In addition to nectar, they consume a variety of small invertebrates, including butterflies, moths, hoppers, lacewings, spiders, bees, wasps, ants, bark lice, flies, beetles, thrips, true bugs, and mites.
Apapanes produce a diverse array of calls, including squeaks, whistles, rasping notes, clicking sounds, and melodic trills. Both males and females sing throughout the year, but singing is most consistent during the breeding season, peaking in February. Vocal activity decreases from July to October when ‘ohi‘a flowering is low and the birds are traveling more to find food. Singing is most active at dawn and in the late afternoon, with the lowest activity during the hottest part of the day. They also produce a whirring sound from their primaries during flight.
Mating pairs form between January and March. Males sing to attract mates and defend territories. Nest building takes 5 to 8 days. Nests are typically cup-shaped, woven from mosses, ‘ohi‘a twigs and leaves, lichens, bark, roots, and small rhizomes, and lined with shredded grass or sedge fibers. They are usually placed on ‘ohi‘a branches but have also been found in tree cavities and lava tubes.
The female lays about three white eggs with brown speckling. She incubates the eggs, using her brood patch for thermoregulation, while the male provides food and calls away from the nest. The female remains silent on the nest to avoid detection. The young are altricial, hatching almost naked with some gray down. Feathers begin to unsheath on day 8 and are fully developed by day 14. Nestlings fledge around day 16. Both parents feed the chicks and remove fecal sacs to keep the nest clean.
The Apapane is currently listed as Least Concern (LC) in AviList v2026. However, the species faces threats from habitat loss due to climate change and human activity, as well as disease, particularly avian malaria. Historically, the subspecies Himatione sanguinea freethii from Laysan Island became extinct in 1923 due to habitat destruction caused by introduced rabbits.
To observe Apapanes ethically, focus on listening for their melodic trills and whistles in mesic forests during early morning or late afternoon. Maintain a respectful distance to avoid disturbing their foraging or nesting activities. Apapanes are subordinate to dominant honeycreepers like the ‘I‘iwi and crested honeycreeper, which can influence their foraging locations within the forest. Avoid using playback calls to lure them, as this can cause stress and disrupt natural behaviors.
Next Step: Seek out mesic or wet native forests on the windward sides of the main islands, particularly at mid-elevation zones around 1,250 meters, during early morning hours. Look for stands dominated by ‘ohi‘a trees, as these provide the primary food source and nesting sites for the species.
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