Kauai Island is a place where volcanism ended about 3.8 million years ago. Kauai is one of the oldest Hawaiian Islands, popular for its dormant volcanoes, canyons, spectacular beaches, a rainy side, a dry side, lush landscapes, and especially birds. Here is the list of 10 birds of Kauai.
Birds Of Kauai
1. White-tailed Tropicbird
The white-tailed tropicbird is a tropic bird that is closely related to the seabirds of the tropical oceans. They are found in the Atlantic, western Pacific, and Indian Oceans. The body length is between 71 and 8–0 cm, with a wingspan of up to 89–96 cm. Talking about their appearance, they have a black band on the inner wing, a black eye mask, and an orange-yellow to orange-red bill. The primary diet includes flying fish, squid, and crabs that they catch by diving from heights of up to 20 metres, as do gannets.
Also Read: 10 Types of Birds in Brazil
Image Source: Wikimedia
2. Red-footed Booby
The red-footed booby is a large sea bird that belongs to the family Sulidae. This is the smallest member of the booby and gannet families and can grow up to 70 cm in length. The wingspan size is. up to 152 cm in length, and the weight is up to 840 to 1000 grams. The name of the bird comes from the fact that they have red legs; however, the bill and throat pouch are coloured pink and blue. The beeding region includes the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. When they are not breeding, they are found in ocean waters. The average lifespan is between 22 and 40 years in the wild.
Image Source: Wikipedia
3. Hawaiian Goose
The Hawaiian goose also known as the nene, is one of the rarest goose species. It is believed that the species evolved from the Canada goose and arrived on the Hawaiian Islands about 500,000 years ago, right after it was formed. The body length of a Hawaiian goose is between 53 and 69 cm, and its average weight is between 1.5 and 3 kilograms. The adult male species can be identified by its black head and hindneck, along with buff cheeks and a heavily furrowed neck, whereas the female species are only smaller and similar in coloration. The average lifespan of the Hawaiian goose is between 20 and 24 years in the wild.
Image Source: Wikimedia
4. Pacific Golden Plover
The Pacific golden plover is one of the birds of Kauai that breeds in Alaska and Siberia during the summer. The body length of the Pacific golden plover is between 23 and 26 cm, and its average weight is between 102 and 108 grams. During the non-breeding season, the bird species migrates widely across the Pacific. The average lifespan of the Pacific golden plover is up to 15 years in the wild. These are diurnal birds and are often seen in flocks in short vegetation, along beaches, or on tidal flats.
Image Source: Wikimedia
5. Northern Cardinal
The Northern Cardinal is one of the black and red birds common throughout central and eastern North America and south, from Florida and Mexico down to Belize and Guatemala. These red-headed birds of Hawaii use physical displays and vocalisations to communicate. Both male and female cardinals sing with beautiful, loudly whistled phrases such as “whacheer whacheer” and “whoit whoit whoit.” They sing many signalling alarms, such as “tail-flicks” and lifting and lowering their crest.
6. Hawaiian Petrel
The Hawaiian petrel, also known as ʻuaʻu, is one of the birds of Kauai that is endemic to Hawaiʻi. Intially, it was identified on all the Hawaiian Islands except Niʻihau; however, today it is now seen on limited islands such as Haleakalā crater on Maui, Mauna Loa on the island of Hawaiʻi, Waimea Canyon on the island of Kauaʻi, Lānaʻihale on Lānaʻi, and possibly Molokaʻi. It used to prepare its nest burrows or rock crevices, and the breeding extends from March to October. The average lifespan of Hawaiian petrels is up to 30 years or longer.
Image Source: Wikimedia
7. Hawaiian Coot
The Hawaiian coot, also known as alae kea in Hawaiian, belongs to the rail family, Rallidae. The bird species is endemic to Hawaii and looks similar to the American coot. It used to thrive in the regions of freshwater lakes, freshwater marshes, coastal saline lagoons, and water storage areas. The bird species is threatened by habitat loss and introduced predators such as the small Asian mongoose.
Image Source: Wikimedia
8. Scaly-Breasted Munia
The scale-breasted munia is an estrildid finch native to tropical Asia. The body length of bird species is up to 11 to 12 cm, and their average weight is up to 12 to 16 grams. One of the popular birds of Kauai has been introduced into many other parts of the world, and feral populations have established in Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, Australia, and the United States of America. The average lifespan of scaly-breasted munia is between 6 and 8 years in the wild. The primary diet includes grass seeds, small berries, and insects.
Image Source: Wikimedia
9. Short-Eared Owl
The Short-Eared-Eareds one of the types of owls in Illinois and also one of the most widely distributed owls. These Japanese birds have tufts of feathers resembling mammalian ears and will display their tufts when in a defensive pose, although their very short tufts are usually not visible. Talking about their appearance, they have large eyes along with a big head, a short neck, and broad wings. The bill is short, hooked, and black, and the plumage is mottled, tawny to brown, with a barred tail and wings. It is also listed as one of the most popular owl species in southern California.
10. Red-Whiskered Bulbul
The red-whiskered bulbul, also known as the crested bulbul, is a passerine bird native to Asia. These amazing birds of Kauai have been introduced in many tropical areas of the world where populations have established themselves. They used to do a three- or four-note call and feed on fruits, small insects, and perches conspicuously on trees. They are now found in India, Nepal, Thailand, Myanmar, China, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. The average lifespan of Red-Whiskered Bulbul is up to 11 years in the world.
Image Source: Wikimedia
These are the 10 birds of Kauai. Kindly share and post your comments.
