First up is the Pacific Golden Plover and is responsible for the only really plausible explanation for humans discovering the Hawaiian islands, in the middle of a huge ocean, so long ago. They migrate from Polynesia to Siberia and Alaska in the summer. Legend has it that the Polynesians noticed the birds flying straight out into the ocean at the same time every year. So they followed them, took note of the constellations and their positions when they lost sight of the birds, and then waited in that same spot the next year for the birds to come over. They did this for years, which eventually lead them to the island chain. Pretty amazing if it's true! Anyway, they are cool little birds.
This one is the Red-Vented Bulbul They are pretty, but pretty mean. I've seen them harassing smaller birds so much while they are building their nests, that they finally just give up and try somewhere else. Bully!
These are the Zebra Doves. These cute little guys are found all over the place, but most commonly sunning themselves on concrete driveways.
The Black-crowned Night Heron. Found near marshes.
These are the Cattle Egrets. They are big birds that walk around everywhere looking for grubs. They are usually found in large numbers of 10 or more whenever someone is mowing their lawn. They just follow around after the mower and snatch up the exposed bugs. We often see them with long centipedes hanging out of both sides of their beaks.
Mina Birds are very social, smart birds. They talk all the time, chattering in the trees. They can be very loud! We were lucky enough to have one nest in the palm tree right by our door!
Japanese White Eyes are super shy and hard to photograph, so Mason did a great job capturing this shot.
Frigate birds soar along the coast right at sunrise. They are huge and soar gracefully.
Chickens! They are crazy successful here. They are everywhere. They trap the chickens in our community garden and I could have organic chicken whenever I want... if I butcher them. Haven't worked up to that yet. It's close to getting on my bucket list.
The Red-Crested Cardinal is a cute little bird that has a sweet little sound. It was the first one I learned to identify because it woke us up with it's call every morning.
I love these little guys too! Java Sparrows. They will come to our lanai in flocks. I think they look a little like the puffins from the northwest.
The Hawaiian Coot is native to Hawaii and we mostly see them in the Kawainui Marsh and at the Ho'omaluhia Garden.
The Shearwaters live on the rocks offshore. The nesting sites we mostly see them on are Flat Island and The Mokes. They nest and sleep in holes in the ground and hunt for fish and soar just above the water at sunrise.
One of the first few weeks we were in Hawaii, Mason and Cliff were on a walk at Lanikai when several Brown Footed Boobies flew overhead. Mason recognized them instantly and yelled, "Hey! These are Boobies! I've never seen so many Boobies!" Cliff had fun with that one...
Peacocks roam in certain neighborhoods.
Spotted Doves are everywhere.
And these little tiny birds, the Chestnut Munias were often perched atop tall grasses in large flocks.
Cardinals are one of the most colorful birds here. They are also shy but will come to the lanai if there is yummy bird seed. They have a high-pitched single chirp, and when we hear that, we know they are nearby. We named these two Gus and Gertrude.
One morning I drove Kaiah in to her endocrinology appt in Honolulu (fighting traffic for an hour!) only to find we were a day early. As we were driving back home, I saw a flash of green out of the corner of my eye and noticed the bird Mason had really wanted to see! The Rose-Ringed Parakeet!
But this bird is our favorite! It is a beautiful singer with a new song every time. It sits on our fence or in the plumeria tree in the back and just sings and sings a lovely tune.
There are many other birds here, but these are the ones we see most frequently and grew to love the most!
