Birda Logo
Features
Birda+
About
Species Guide
Challenges
Shop
loading...

Apapane

Himatione sanguinea

The ʻApapane (Himatione sanguinea) is a small, vibrant crimson bird, a Hawaiian honeycreeper that graces the islands with its presence. Adult ʻApapane are resplendent in their bright red plumage, accented with white undertail-coverts and lower abdomen feathers, and contrasted by black primaries and retrices. The juveniles, however, are a more subdued yellow-brown and gray, sharing the white plumage of adults, and over two years, they molt into the striking crimson of maturity. Males are slightly larger than females, weighing in at 16 grams compared to the females' 14.4 grams.

Identification Tips

When observing ʻApapane, look for their characteristic tail-up posture, which proudly displays their white feathers. This posture, combined with their size of approximately 13 cm in length, and the distinctive coloration, makes them quite recognizable. The males and females can be differentiated by their size, with males being marginally larger.

Habitat

ʻApapane are most commonly found in native mesic and wet forests, where they favor the canopies of ʻōhiʻa and koa trees. These habitats provide the resources necessary for their survival and are typically located at elevations above 4,100 feet, where disease pressure from mosquitoes is reduced.

Distribution

This species is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands and is the most abundant and widely distributed honeycreeper. They inhabit the islands of Hawaiʻi, Maui, Lānaʻi, Kauaʻi, Molokaʻi, and Oʻahu, with the majority of the population residing on the island of Hawaiʻi.

Behaviour

The ʻApapane are known for their frequent temporal and seasonal migrations in search of flowering ʻōhiʻa. They are social birds, often seen foraging in conspecific and mixed-species flocks. They do not forage on the ground but rather glean insects and spiders from leaves and small twigs in the canopy.

Song & calls

ʻApapane are enthusiastic vocalists, with a repertoire that includes squeaks, whistles, rasps, melodic trills, and clicking sounds. Their songs, which they perform from perches or in flight, are often a series of repeated phrases lasting 10-30 seconds.

Breeding

The breeding season commences between October and November, with a peak from February to June. Nests are typically located on the terminal branches of ʻōhiʻa trees, but can also be found in tree cavities and lava tubes. Females lay 1-4 eggs and incubate them for 13 days. Males do not visit the nest during incubation but will feed the female off-nest. Both parents feed the nestlings, and the young are dependent for less than four months.

Similar Species

The ʻApapane can be confused with other Hawaiian honeycreepers, but its bright crimson coloration and white undertail-coverts are distinctive.

Diet and Feeding

ʻApapane have a specialized diet, primarily nectar from ʻōhiʻa flowers, thanks to their tubular, brush-tipped tongues and decurved bills. They also consume insects and spiders, which they glean from the foliage in the canopy.

Conservation status

The ʻApapane is currently classified as Least Concern by the IUCN. With an estimated population of over 1.5 million individuals, they are the most abundant honeycreeper species in Hawaii. However, they face threats from habitat loss, disease, and introduced species, including predators and competitors. Conservation efforts for other native Hawaiian birds also benefit the ʻApapane, with nature reserves and habitat restoration projects helping to protect their environment.

App logo
Birda is a birdwatching app and community aimed at curious people who want to deepen their connection with nature.

Apapanes on Birda

Photos
Sightings

More Finches, Euphonias

A photo of a Lesser Redpoll (Acanthis cabaret) , male

Lesser Redpoll

Acanthis cabaret
Birda Logo

Your birdwatching journey like never before

Connect with nature in minutes
Take a walk, look out of the window and log the birds that you see. Feel good about those little connections to nature.
Discover the joy of birding
Find new birding spots, see more birds, share and celebrate with a like-minded community of nature lovers.
Play your part in saving nature
Logging your birding sightings and sessions turns into positive action for our planet. Every sighting counts.

Birda Blog

What Our Birders Say
Leonie
We've been waiting for an App like this
Excellent! We've been waiting for an app like this! Thank you! It would be nice if you could assign additional birds to sessions later!
Alex J
Friendly and helps to identify birds
Great birding app, good for logging your sightings, also has nice species guide. I'm enjoying the social aspect more than I expected, everyone seems friendly and helps to identify unknown birds. Good mix of newbies and experienced users.
Alice J
Awesome Birding Community
I absolutely love the community aspect of this app. The app is so user friendly and has fun interactive challenges to get you out birding. I’ve tried others but since I’ve started using Birda I’ve not gone back!
Nick S
Work together with community
Been loving using this app to log my bird sightings and work together with community members to identify different birds. I've already learned a lot since I started about a month ago!
Marlster24
Recommend for any bird watcher
Very wholesome app: I joined this app with a new interest in watching birds to help me find out what I was spotting. The community is very active in helping identify birds which is great and everyone is very kind so it’s just a nice wholesome community. I would definitely recommend this for any bird spotter 😃
Erna M
I really like Birda
I really like Birda. I also use other birding apps and have Birda with E-bird going at the same time.
Jake W
Great app
I use this app all the time as it’s quick and easy to log individual sightings or whole birding sessions. It’s an excellent way to meet new people and the forum is full of really friendly people. The challenges are a great way to get involved and learn more about birds. Cannot recommend it enough!
SuperOliviaGirl
Really great app
It’s easy to use and it’s fun to log the birds you notice on a walk or just in your garden. There’s a option to record the birds you see in a session which is really nice. Good excuse to stop for a while and just watch birds. I am also enjoying the information part where you can find out fact about birds from all over the world.
Hip An
Fantastic
Really enjoying Birda where I live i have a lot of Red kites really hard to photograph but I can video are you planning some place on the app where us Birda can post vids🦉🦅
Dunners12345
Great App
Great app to use for logging and communicating with others who are interested in birds
As featured in
Birda Logo
AboutPressAmbassadorsAffiliatesInfluencersCareersPrivacyTerms & Conditions
An app for birdwatchers
Connect with us
Copyright © 2024 Chirp Birding. All rights reserved.