bird tours of hawaii

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Australia & The Pacific Islands

HAWAII – endemics and seabirds in the mid-Pacific

Apapane (image by Pete Morris)

Hawaiian Coot (image by Pete Morris)

Omao (image by Pete Morris)

Hawaiian Stilt (image by Pete Morris)

Short-eared Owl (image by Pete Morris)

Hawaiian Petrel (image by János Oláh)

Silversword (image by Pete Morris)

Laysan Albatross chick (image by Pete Morris)

Laysan Albatross (image by Pete Morris)

Hawaiian Elepaio (image by Pete Morris)

Bristle-thighed Curlew (image by Pete Morris)

Iiwi (image by Pete Morris)

Oahu Amikihi (image by Pete Morris)

Wedge-tailed Shearwater (image by Pete Morris)

Akiapolaau (image by Pete Morris)

Laysan Albatrosses (image by János Oláh)

Akiapolaau (image by János Oláh)

Hawaii Creeper (image by János Oláh)

Eruption at Volcanoes National Park (image by Pete Morris)

Iiwi (image by János Oláh)

Newell's Shearwater (image by Pete Morris)

Hawaiian Goose (image by Pete Morris)

Akepa (image by János Oláh)

Kauai Amakihi (image by Pete Morris)

Oahu Elepaio (image by Pete Morris)

Hawaiian Geese (image by János Oláh)

Kauai Creeper (image by Pete Morris)

Maui Alauahio (image by Pete Morris)

Chukar (image by Pete Morris)

Palila (image by Pete Morris)

Pacific Golden Plover (image by Pete Morris)

Hawaii Amakihi (image by Pete Morris)

Common Gallinule (image by Pete Morris)

Kermadec Petrel (image by Pete Morris)

Hawaiian Duck (image by Pete Morris)

Kauai Elepaio (image by Pete Morris)

Hawaiian Geese (image by Pete Morris)

HAWAII: OVERVIEW

Birdquest’s Hawaii birding tours explore these beautiful islands with their largely endangered endemic landbirds (including the Hawaiian Honeycreepers, sometimes considered a distinct family), their interesting seabirds and migrants such as the rare Bristle-thighed Curlew. Our Hawaii birding tour has the most comprehensive itinerary available in the islands and consistently produces a high proportion of the islands’ specialities.

Halfway across the Pacific Ocean, north of the equator, lies the Hawaiian archipelago, consisting of 122 islands and spreading 2400 kilometres across the Pacific from Kure Atoll and Midway in the northwest to Hawaii in the southeast. The term Hawaii usually refers to the eight main islands: Oahu, Hawaii proper (also known as Big Island), Maui, Kauai, Molokai, Lanai, Kahoolawe and Niihau.

Captain Cook brought the islands to the attention of the rest of the world in 1778, but Polynesian explorers had settled these volcanic peaks long before him. In the mind of most Europeans, Hawaii stands for the white sandy beaches of Waikiki, beautiful hula-dancing, flower-covered girls, the battle of Pearl Harbor, breaching Humpback Whales, surfers riding immaculate waves and its melodic language, full of vowels and repeated syllables. Few people realize that the 50th State offers many unique natural phenomena, including the world’s most active volcano (Kilauea) and the world’s tallest mountain if measured from its bottom on the seafloor (Mauna Kea), as well as extraordinary volcanic mountain scenery, luxuriant forests, extensive lava flows and semi-deserts, remote beaches, cascading waterfalls, pounding surf and turquoise waters. Hawaii is a place of great contrasts: altitudes range from sea level to 4205m and annual rainfall from more than 10m on Kauai to only a few centimetres on some of the leeward beaches of the Big Island!

For naturalists, the main attraction of Hawaii lies in the extremely high percentage of endemism in the local fauna and flora (amounting to about 90%). Hawaii boasts an endemic bird subfamily: the Hawaiian Honeycreepers or Drepanidinae (sometimes treated as a full family, Drepanididae), the finest known example of the process called adaptive radiation, wherein a varied array of species evolved from a single ancestor. The Hawaiian Honeycreepers range from tiny, drab-coloured, nectar-feeding, warbler-like birds to large, brightly-coloured, thick-billed seedeaters; others creep along trunks and feed with peculiar decurved bills or pick at the bark.

Since man settled in the islands the honeycreepers and other native birds have fought a losing battle (starting with the extinction of a number of flightless birds soon after the Polynesians first settled), as most of the lowland forests were destroyed and introduced alien plants and animals proved to be serious pests. Worst of all was the unfortunate introduction of mosquitoes in 1826, as they provided a vector for avian malaria. The endemic species were unable to cope and many species have become extinct. The 21 endemic species that have so far survived this catastrophe are mainly found above 1300m elevation, where mosquitoes are less numerous, but even so most of the honeycreepers are endangered (some critically).

During our Hawaii birding tour, we will make a special effort to try to see as many of the surviving endemic species and other Hawaiian specialities as possible. Time is running out for Hawaii’s birds, so time is of the essence if you wish to see these vanishing species.

Our Hawaii birding tour will begin on the island of Oahu, the third-largest island of the chain and the most populated one, with bustling Honolulu as its capital. Hawaiian Coot, Hawaiian Stilt, Bristle-thighed Curlew, White Tern, Oahu Elepaio and Oahu Amakihi are the main attractions here.

From Oahu, we will travel to Kauai, the ‘Garden Isle’. Kauai has a central mountain range that receives more than 10m of rainfall a year, making it one of the wettest places on earth! Here we will concentrate on the forested mountains of the interior, which are the perfect habitat for a series of endemics including Kauai Elepaio, the ultra-rare Puaiohi, Anianiau, Akekee (or Kauai Akepa), Kauai Amakihi and the rapidly declining Akikiki (or Kauai Creeper), while wetland areas hold Hawaiian Geese (Nenes) and Hawaiian Ducks. Along the coast, we can expect Laysan Albatross and White-tailed and Red-tailed Tropicbirds.

Maui will be our next port of call. This is the second-largest island and is formed by two mountains connected by a low isthmus. The crater of the world’s largest dormant volcano is a nesting site for the Hawaiian Petrel, while lower down the woodlands are home to the gorgeous Iiwi, Apapane, Hawaii Amakihi and the endemic Alauahio (or Maui Creeper).

Finally, we will explore Hawaii, which is also called ‘Big Island’. This is the youngest of the islands, with several very active volcanoes producing impressive lava flows, while exciting endemics like Hawaiian Hawk, Omao, Palila, Hawaii Amakihi, Akiapolaau, Hawaii Creeper and Akepa reside in the remaining forests. A pelagic trip may well turn up Hawaiian Petrel and perhaps Newell’s Shearwater and a rare Pterodroma among the more common species.

Birdquest has operated Hawaii birding tours since 1998.

In years when both are offered, this tour can be taken together with MICRONESIA

Accommodation & Road Transport: The hotels/motels used are comfortable and of good or medium standard. Road transport is by minibus/passenger van, cars or 4×4 vehicles. Roads are mostly good.

Walking: The walking effort during our Hawaii birding tours is mostly easy, but there is one optional fairly demanding hike on Kauai. The latter, for the more endangered species, requires good balance and involves a slippery trail and some crossing of fallen trees and streams.

Climate: Rather variable. It is typically warm or hot at lower altitudes, but at high altitudes, we can expect cool weather. Some rain is highly likely.

Bird Photography: Opportunities during our Hawaii birding tours are worthwhile.

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

• The piping calls of the rare Bristle-thighed Curlews on Oahu’s North Shore can be heard above the crashing waves that attracted surfers and made it so famous
• Birding in moss-covered rainforest in search of Kauai’s three critically endangered species, Puaiohi, Akekee and Akikiki; birds as difficult to pronounce correctly as they are to see
• Sifting through the Wedge-tailed Shearwaters in the hope of Newell’s Shearwater, a small black-and-white Puffinus that looks like it is wearing saddle-bags
• Enjoy a stunning seabird colony experience at Kilauea on Kauai’s north coast, where Red-tailed Tropicbirds hang in the updrafts while their White-tailed cousins zoom by
• The bizzare sight of Laysan Albatrosses with their large fluffy chicks nesting on people’s lawns in nearby residential areas on Kauai
• Admiring the impressive Silversword, a spectacular plant that can live for up to 50 years, high on Maui’s Mount Haleakalā (‘House of the Sun’) in the harshest of environments
• As darkness falls, hear the strange calls of Hawaiian Petrels and watch as they return to their nesting burrows high on the rim of a dormant volcano
• A flash of crimson in the canopy of an Ohia tree on the Big Island (Hawaii Island) reveals a gorgeous Iiwi, one of the most beautiful of Hawaii’s remaining endemic honeycreepers
• Another flash of crimson on the Big Island is the more modest Apapane, while we are looking for the rare tangerine-coloured honeycreeper, the hole-nesting Akepa
• Checking Koa trees in isolated kipukas (woodlands isolated by lava flows) for Akiapolaau, the lemon-yellow honeycreeper with a long curved upper mandible and shorter, chisel-like lower one
• Listen to a chorus of unfamiliar bird song ringing through the forests of the Big Island including the sweet tones of the Omao, one of Hawaii’s two remaining solitaires
• Searching Māmane forests on the slopes Mauna Kea, the world’s tallest mountain from sea floor to summit, for the silver-and-gold Palila, the last of Hawaii’s grosbeak-honeycreepers
• Marvel at the incredible volcanic landscape of the Big Island, watch glowing lava at night and maybe an eruption of Kilauea, the world’s most active volcano
• Learn the meaning of the spirit of Aloha and Mahalo in Hawaii’s culture and maybe hear some ukulele-accompanied traditional songs as we travel through these wonderful islands
• Wear a Hawaiian shirt and shorts to evening meal and enjoy some terrific food, particularly ‘catch of the day’ seafood fresh from the Pacific Ocean

OUTLINE ITINERARY

• Day 1: Evening tour start at Honolulu on Oahu island.
• Day 2: Oahu. Overnight at Honolulu.
• Day 3: Oahu, then fly to Lihue on Kauai island.
• Days 4-5: Kauai. Overnights at Lihue.
• Day 6: Kauai, then fly to Maui island.
• Day 7: Maui, then fly to Hilo on Big Island (Hawaii).
• Days 8-10: Big Island/Hawaii. Overnights at Hilo.
• Day 11: Big island, then fly to Honolulu for early evening tour end.

To see a larger map, click on the square-like ‘enlarge’ icon in the upper right of the map box.

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PRICE INFORMATION

Birdquest Inclusions: Our tour prices include surface transportation, accommodations, meals and entrance fees.

We also include all tipping for local guides, drivers, boatmen and accommodation/restaurant staff.

We also include these flights: Honolulu (Oahu)-Lihue (Kauai), Lihue-Maui, Maui-Hilo (Hawaii/Big Island) and Hilo (Hawaii/Big Island)-Honolulu.

Deposit: 20% of the total tour price. Our office will let you know what deposit amount is due, in order to confirm your booking, following receipt of your online booking form.

TO BOOK THIS TOUR: Click here (you will need the tour dates)

The single supplement will not apply if you indicate on booking that you prefer to share a room and there is a room-mate of the same sex available.

This tour is priced in US Dollars. Amounts shown in other currencies are indicative.

Air Travel To & From The Tour:  Our in-house IATA ticket agency will be pleased to arrange your air travel on request, or you may arrange this yourself if you prefer.

HAWAII BIRDING TOUR: DETAILED ITINERARY

Hawaii: Day 1  Our Hawaii birding tour begins this evening at our Honolulu hotel on the island of Oahu, where we will spend two nights.

Hawaii: Day 2   Early this morning we will visit a small, secluded valley which holds the highest concentration of the endemic Oahu Elepaio (the elepaios are closely related to the monarch flycatchers) as well as the endemic Oahu Amakihi. In addition, we should see two introduced species: the smart White-rumped Shama and the multi-hued Red-billed Leiothrix.

We will then drive around the scenic north coast of Oahu and visit several ponds and marshes around Kailua and the James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge. Breeding species in these wetlands include the endemic Hawaiian Coot and the endemic Hawaiian Stilt, as well as Black-crowned Night Heron, Western Cattle Egret and the introduced Red Avadavat. The wetlands also attract migratory wildfowl such as Northern Pintail and Northern Shoveler. More importantly, we should encounter the rare Bristle-thighed Curlew, as small numbers occur here throughout the year (with young birds oversummering rather than returning to Alaska).

Seawatching along the coast is likely to turn up good numbers of Red-footed and Brown Boobies and Sooty Terns, White Tern, Wedge-tailed Shearwater and, if we are very fortunate, Christmas (or Kiribati) Shearwater. With luck, we will see some rare Hawaiian Monk Seals hauled out on the beaches.

During our visit to Oahu, we should also encounter a number of introduced bird species like Spotted and Zebra Doves, Red-vented Bulbul, Common Myna, Northern Cardinal, Japanese White-eye, House Finch, Yellow-fronted Canary and Java Sparrow. Wintering Pacific Golden Plovers often feed on the lawns.

Hawaii: Day 3   After some final birding on Oahu we will fly to Lihue on Kauai, the oldest and greenest of the main islands, for a three nights stay. This afternoon we will begin our exploration of the island.

Hawaii: Days 4-5   During our time on Kauai we will visit Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge (better known under the name Kilauea Lighthouse), which is the best place in the Hawaiian Islands for seabirds. Here we will find a huge colony of gorgeous Red-footed Boobies and their nests can easily be discerned in the trees on the steep forested cliffs. Small numbers of the enormous Laysan Albatross breed here too and the population is still on the increase. Both these species have no fear whatsoever of man and can often be observed at very close range whilst manoeuvring in the wind along the cliffs.

Recently the Nene or Hawaiian Goose, Hawaii’s State bird, has been reintroduced here and good numbers can now be found. We can also expect to see Wedge-tailed Shearwaters, Brown Boobies, Great Frigatebirds and White-tailed and Red-tailed Tropicbirds. We may well discover some Green Turtles amongst the impressive breakers or even the threatened Hawaiian Monk Seal. In recent years Kermadec Petrels have begun to visit the colony, so we may be lucky enough to see this agile species overhead.

We will also pay a visit to an agricultural area, where the main crop is taro. Mudflats and freshwater ponds abound in this area and these provide a habitat for migratory shorebirds and the endemic Kaloa or Hawaiian Duck. At another area, which we will explore only briefly, Grey-tailed Tattler and the introduced Northern Mockingbird, Western Meadowlark and Chestnut Mannikin (or Black-headed Munia) can be found.

Much of our time on Kauai will be spent exploring the richly forested mountains. As we make our way along the winding road into the interior we will enjoy spectacular views of the Hanapepe Valley and the Waimea Canyon. The latter is one of Hawaii’s great scenic wonders and is often called the ‘Grand Canyon of the Pacific’. White-tailed Tropicbirds constantly glide on the updrafts in the canyon. At the end of the road, amidst extraordinary forests, we will search for endemics like Kauai Elepaio, Anianiau, Kauai Amakihi (which has a noticeably larger bill than other amakihis), Apapane and Iiwi. Introduced species like Common Pheasant, Red Junglefowl (Hawaii’s first introduced bird) and Chinese Hwamei can also be found in these forests.

Our hike will take us to the edge of the Alakai Wilderness Preserve, a huge almost impenetrable forest, often immersed in cloud, where the sun rarely penetrates. The trail is rather slippery in parts, but gradually becomes much better. Here we will diligently search the moss-encrusted trees for the rare Akikiki or Kauai Creeper. This rapidly declining and critically endangered Kauai endemic acts like a nuthatch and can be difficult to locate, but this area is the best accessible spot to find this enigmatic species. We will also be wanting to find the unobtrusive Akekee here, although numbers have dropped in recent years so it is becoming much harder to encounter. Another speciality of these beautiful moss-encrusted forests is the ultra-rare and fast-declining Puaiohi, one of Hawaii’s two surviving thrushes, which may now be reduced to only 10-20 individuals!

Seawatching from the coast can, with a bit of good fortune, turn up Newell’s Shearwater and Hawaiian Petrel.

Either here at Kauai or alternatively during our stay on Big Island (Hawaii), we will take a pelagic trip, primarily to try and get a good view of Hawaiian Petrel, although this is by no means certain. Newell’s Shearwater is also a possibility. Regular species include Wedge-tailed Shearwater, Brown and Red-footed Boobies, White-tailed Tropicbird, Sooty Tern, and Brown and Black Noddies. In addition, there is always the chance of turning up a rarity or two. Possibilities include Mottled and Bulwer’s Petrels, Sooty and Christmas Shearwaters, Grey-backed (or Spectacled) Tern and all three jaegers (skuas). We may also see a few cetaceans, such as Spinner Dolphin or Short-finned Pilot Whale.

Hawaii: Day 6   After some final birding on Kauai we will take an afternoon flight to Maui for an overnight stay. A nocturnal excursion should allow us to hear and see the rare Hawaiian Petrel, which nests on Maui.

Hawaii: Day 7   The drive up to the Haleakala crater is very scenic and introduced Chukar often frequent the roadsides, while Eurasian Skylarks will be in song flight above the pastures. We will first make our way to the summit at 3055m, as the crater tends to fill with clouds as the day progresses. The magnificent panoramic view from here into the immense crater reveals a seeming moonscape where the famously photogenic silversword (a plant somewhat reminiscent of Africa’s giant lobelias) grows, while in the distance the looming bulk of Big Island can be seen far to the southeast. The Nene or Hawaiian Goose can often be found here. This odd-looking goose had nearly become extinct by the 1940s, but was saved by a worldwide conservation effort and can be found also on Kauai and the Big Island.

Further down we will visit an area of eucalyptus, pines and acacias, where we should encounter several species of Hawaiian honeycreeper, including a Maui endemic, the Maui Alauahio (or Maui Creeper). In addition, we should see the secretive Japanese Bush Warbler.

Late this afternoon we will take a short flight to Hilo on the island of Hawaii, also known as Big Island, for a four nights stay.

Hawaii: Days 8-10   During our stay on Big Island we will explore several different areas. At the famous Saddle Road, we will concentrate on the kipukas, which are islands of older forest surrounded by fairly recent lava flows. These nearly pristine fragments of forest hold several species of Hawaiian honeycreeper, a dark form of the Hawaii Elepaio and the Omao or Hawaiian Thrush, an unobtrusive species, whose loud song can be heard all around. In addition, we are likely to encounter the rare Akiapolaau with its unique and amazing bill as this area is undoubtedly the best place to find this remarkable species.

We will also explore the mamane-naio forest on the leeward slope of Mauna Kea at an altitude of about 2300m. This is the home of the critically endangered Palila, a striking finch-like Hawaiian endemic that feeds almost exclusively on the pods of the green mamane. Hawaii Amakihi is abundant here and we should also find an attractive pale form of the Hawaii Elepaio. If the weather is good, and providing time permits, we will drive to the summit of Mauna Kea (or ‘White Mountain’), the highest mountain in Hawaii at 4205m, to enjoy the spectacular panorama. The summit area is nowadays occupied by a large astronomical observatory with telescopes from a series of world-famous universities sited there to take advantage of the extraordinarily clear air.

The finest place for endemic birds on Big Island is the Hakalau Forest National Refuge, which covers 13000 hectares of montane koa-ohia cloudforest on the eastern slope of Mauna Kea and was established solely for the management of forest birds and their rainforest habitat. In this habitat, we should be able to add two attractive Big Island endemics, Akepa and Hawaii Creeper, to our list. (There have been issues on Big Island with a fungal disease that affects ohia trees, so if the refuge is closed we will look for these two species in another area, where they take more effort to find.)

The localized Hawaiian Hawk can sometimes be observed flying over the forest areas, but if need be we will drive along the Stainback Highway to maximize our chances for this rather unpredictable bird, which can only be found on the Big Island and which can sometimes be seen riding the thermals.

Other species we may find during our explorations of Big Island include Short-eared Owl and introduced Erckel’s and Black Francolins, Kalij Pheasant, Wild Turkey, California Quail, Yellow-billed Cardinal, Saffron Finch and African Silverbill.

Big Island not only holds some very special birds but also possesses a wide variety of scenic wonders and different volcanic features. We will see some impressive lava tubes and volcanic craters, as well as extensive lava flows both ancient and recent. Black Noddies (here with orange legs) breed on the sea cliffs, and we may even be able to see an active lava flow, an unusual experience.

Hawaii: Day 11   After some final exploration on Big Island we will return by air to Honolulu, where our tour ends in the early evening.

HAWAII TOUR REPORT 2022

HAWAII TOUR REPORT 2019

Hawaii tour report 2016, other united states of america birding tours by birdquest include:.

North/Central America & The Caribbean

ALASKA – Nome, Kenai, Denali Highway, Barrow and the Pribilof and Aleutian Islands

Colorado – the ultimate ‘grousequest’, texas – the ultimate tour to the lone state, from the gulf coast to west texas.

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The Hawaiian Islands are the most isolated archipelago in the world. Isolation equals speciation, and Hawaii comes through with an assortment of endemic species, including the Drepanidinae (Hawaiian honeycreepers), an entire subfamily endemic to the state! On our birding tour to Hawaii we'll try to locate the endemic landbirds as well as the specialty seabirds, although we're sure to also see a myriad of attractive, showy non-native species that now call the islands their home.

We begin our adventure on Oahu, the gateway to the state, where we'll hope to see a variety of bird species including Oahu Amakihi, Oahu Elepaio, Hwamei (Melodious Laughingthrush), and the colorful White-rumped Shama. We'll continue to Kauai, the Garden Island and the most lush of the main islands, for some of those native birds with exotic names--Kauai Elepaio, Kauai Amakihi, Anianiau, and Apapane. Finally, we'll visit the newest of the isles, the Big Island of Hawaii, where the Kilauea Volcano is creating more Aloha State on a daily basis and where we'll see some of Hawaii's forest birds, including Hawaiian Hawk, the impressive Iiwi, Hawaii Amakihi, Omao (Hawaiian Thrush), Nene (Hawaiian Goose), Hawaii Creeper, Akepa, and the marvelous Akiapolaau with its long, curved upper mandible and short, spike-like lower mandible.

Towering mountains, active volcanoes, black-sand beaches, highland forests, dry forests, semi-desert coastlines--you name it, Hawaii is a gorgeous and birdy destination!

Select the KEY INFO tab or click here for our itinerary plus space requests, status, fees, limits, and guides for any departure.

Client comment "An excellent experience. Great birds and guides. Lodging and food were fine too. We have been very happy with all of our Field Guides tours. We have done a few with other companies but keep coming back. We know that we will have a good and safe trip." R.S., HAWAII 2019

Other Tours in USA

Itineraries • tour status • details • space requests.

• 2024 sample (PDF)
• 2025 (PDF expected Jun 2024)

DEPARTURES • We have 2 departures currently scheduled through 2026, with details including limits, guides, fees, and space available listed below.

Mar 13-21, 2025 Guided by: Cory Gregory & Mandy Talpas Tour Manager: Nicole Cannon Tour Limit: 14 Status: Open - Space is still available on this tour, and we are accepting provisional bookings. No deposit is required until you receive the itinerary. Click below to book space. Tour Fee: Fee TBD / 2024=$7050 REQUEST SPACE OR MORE INFO

Mar 12-21, 2026 Guide: TBA Tour Manager: TBA Tour Limit: 14 Status: Open - Space is still available on this tour, and we are accepting provisional bookings. No deposit is required until you receive the itinerary. Click below to book space. Tour Fee: Fee TBD / 2024=$7050 REQUEST SPACE OR MORE INFO

Enjoy looking through the 5 most recent Field Guides triplists for this tour linked below!

• 2023 (Mar departure guided by Tom Johnson & Mandy Talpas)
• 2022 (Mar departure guided by Chris Benesh & Mandy Talpas)
• 2019 (Apr departure guided by Chris Benesh & Dave Stejskal)
• 2018 (Mar departure guided by Dan Lane & Chris Benesh)
• 2017 (Mar departure guided by Dan Lane & Doug Gochfeld)

Birdwatching Tours on Hawaii

Hawaii birding tours.

Hawaii is known to have some of the rarest plant and bird species on earth. Photographers and enthusiasts alike visit the aloha state searching for our unique wildlife. During our Hawaii birding tours, visitors will get to experience the island’s natural beauty. With the help of our imperative guides, you will encounter new breeds and species while learning why these vulnerable habitats have been threatened to the brink of extinction.

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Hawaii Bird Guide

Explore with Hawaii Bird Guide

Intersection of natural history, education, and citizen science.

If you’re looking to enhance your next trip to Hawaii (Big Island or Hawaii Island, Maui, Oahu, and Kauai) with an exciting and engaging birding and nature tour, consider a guided outing with Lance Tanino at Hawaii Bird Guide. He is a professional Naturalist, Conservationist, Eco Tour Guide with years of conservation, birding, and local experiences. If you are interested in learning new things about Hawaiian natural history (birds, plants, geology, biogeography), culture, good eats, etc., check out my active tours, look at pictures of my past ones, and feel free to get in touch with any questions.

I purchased a tour with Lance for two friends for their honeymoon. They raved about him. They are bird lovers and got to see 35 species! Lance was also helpful and prompt when I contacted him via email. He also has excellent credentials. Would totally recommend!

7 am - 5 pm day with Lance in early April 2016. There were four of us and it was an amazing experience. Lance know the shape, calls, and locations of Hawaiian birds, and what a day, fantastic endemics: Amakihi, Apapane, Oma'o, Hawaiian Owl and I'iwi. Plus lots of special encounters with introductions: Red Avadavant, Kalij Pheasant, Java Sparrow, Sand Grouse, White-faced Ibis, African Silverbill...Lance was so easy to work with via email to set up time and place to meet, then driving his car so we could all be together, he knows birds, biogeography, and gave us tons of info to guide the rest of our stay. Cannot say enough positive, this was a super day!

 I had the privilege of participating in a week long guided birding adventure in Hawaii (Big Island and Kauai) with Lance Tanino. He is a stellar group leader and birding is clearly his passion. He is knowledgeable about both the native and introduced birds of Hawaii. Lance recognized these birds by call and sight. He also knew the best locations to find them. In addition to his birding expertise, Lance demonstrated a comprehensive knowledge of the flora and fauna of the region. By the end of the trip, I knew to look for Apapane and Iiwi in the flowers of Ohia trees and had a greater appreciation for the evolution of endemic bird species, trees and animals in the Hawaiian Islands.

4 of us, all interested but not professional - level birders, spent a day with Lance. We wanted to see what we could, yet be back at our cars by 3 PM. This gives you an idea of our level! Lance was easy and informative, giving us history and birding knowledge during the day's tour. He is patient, always a plus for the causal birder, and he wisely kept us on the dry side of the island, making out birding adventure much more enjoyable. I would go on another day with him in a heartbeat!

Lance Tanino was born and raised in Kane’ohe on O’ahu. His interest in birds started at age 10. The Cattle Egret, an introduced species caught his attention and curiosity for birds.  Since those early years, he continued his interests with degrees in Zoology (BA) and Environmental Studies With Concentration in Conservation Biology (MSc). Lance serves as the Hawaiian Islands Regional Editor for North American Birds by American Birding Association, Regional Editor (Hawaiian Islands and U.S. Minor Outlying Islands) for eBird (Cornell's Lab of Ornithology), Member of Western Field Ornithologists' Hawaii Bird Records Committee. His favorite ways to go birding are seawatching, hawkwatching, and birding with friends.

Lance has been involved in conservation and natural resources for the past 22 years in Hawaii, Maine, Micronesia, New Hampshire, and Vermont. Along the way, my passion for birding has taken me to Japan, Costa Rica, Belize, Mexico, and Canada.  

He taught high school Ecology, Environmental Studies, and Biology at college-prep/dormitory high schools in southeastern Pennsylvania and southern Vermont.

As a professional Eco Tour Guide, Lance excels at helping you plan your perfect outing. Not just any outing, but truly exceptional trips filled with inspiring and enriching experiences. He believes in sharing his knowledge and passion for birding, conservation, education, and Hawaiian natural history with all of those he guides. Explore his site to find out more. 

Professional Naturalist

Unforgettable Experiences

Tour Options

From high elevation grasslands to native rainforests to wetlands to the coast, there are a variety of habitats to explore for anyone who wants to learn and experience the natural history of the Hawaiian Islands. Read on to discover the alternative tour options available at Hawaii Bird Guide. Choose from private/small group outings to West Hawaii, Hakalau Forest, or customized nature tours. Get in touch today with any questions or concerns.

All-day in West Hawaii

We will focus on seeing a wide variety of established bird species from specific roadside locations and a few of them may include short walks. The route (8-10 hours and 150+ miles) includes scenic views of the island and sharing my knowledge of Hawaiian natural history, geology, biogeography, etc. The trip starts at 7:30 AM in Waimea.

Email me at [email protected] for more details.

Half-day/Hourly in West Hawaii

Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge

Join me at Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge where we will focus on the unique natural history of this area. There is no finer example of native montane wet forest in the archipelago. This is an incredible opportunity for those interested in birds, plants, insects, photography, and being completely surrounded by nature. Access to this location is very restricted. 11 native bird species can be seen: Hawaiian Goose or Nene (endemic and endangered), Hawaiian Hawk or 'Io (island endemic and endangered), Short-eared Owl or Pueo (endemic subspecies), Hawai'i 'Elepaio (island endemic), 'Omao (island endemic), 'Apapane (endemic), 'I'iwi (endemic), 'Akiapola'au (island endemic and endangered), Hawai'i 'Amakihi (island endemic), Hawai'i Creeper (island endemic and endangered), and Hawai'i 'Akepa (island endemic and endangered).

Group Pelagic Tour

Pelagic wildlife (seabirds and marine mammals) boat trips are available for groups out of Honokohau Marina, Kailua-Kona.

Maui, O'ahu, and Kaua'i outings

Please email [email protected] for more details for a customized outing.

"Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life"

Omar Khayyam

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Custom Tours

Craft Your Dream Tour

Everybody Welcome

Dedicated Service

Create Your Own Dream Hawaiian Birding Adventure

Whether you envision casually cruising the coastline in search of shorebirds, chasing after endemic forest birds, embarking on a pelagic birding expedition, exploring local hot spots, or all of the above. We are dedicated to providing customized wildlife excursions and the best all-inclusive eco-tours to create your ultimate birding experience. Guests of all ages, abilities, and interests are encouraged to inquire. Our all-female team is comprised of dynamic and knowledgeable conservationists, naturalists, foodies, and adventure seekers with interests beyond birding, who have previously led all kinds of tours. We can arrange anything from a casual 5 hour birding tour with sightseeing and foodie stops to an all-inclusive, multi-island hardcore birding extravaganza.

Trip Details

Day trip prices.

• Half day/ 5 hours on Oahu for 1 -10 people: $1095
• Full day/ 10 hours on Oahu for 1 -10 people: $1795
• Full day/ 10 hours on Kauai for 1 -10 people: $1795
• Full day/ 10 hours on Big Island 1 -10 people: $1795
• Full day/ 10 hours on Maui 1 -10 people: $1795

Please note our access into Hakalau Forest NWR is very limited and is $1995 for 1 -10 people

What the price does & doesn’t include

The day trip pricing above for 1 -10 people doesn’t include lunches (with the exception of Hakalau) but does include a local lunch stop (where guests purchase their own lunch), the use of binoculars if needed, the use of a scope if needed, the use of a walking stick if needed, sunscreen, bug spray, online checklists and fun!

Meeting point

These are personalized experiences designed to cater to you, your family, friends and colleagues from your accommodations, whether they were arranged by us or by you, to our adventure destinations safely and comfortably.

Availability

Custom tours run August to June

We prefer bookings over 3 months in advance but we will accommodate last minute requests as best as we can. Please remember our team boasts some of Hawaii’s most sought after guides and we’re easily booked with groups over a year in advance.

• 1 -9 on Kauai with Mandy or Maria and/ or Patti in a 10 passenger 4×4 Nissan tour van
• 1-10 on Oahu with Mandy and/ or Patti in a 12 passenger Ford Transit tour van
• 1-10 on Big Island with Mandy or Pippa and/ or Patti in a 12 passenger 4×4 Nissan tour van
• 1 -10 on Maui with Mandy and/ or Patti in a 12 passenger Ford Transit tour van
• Please note we are happy to team up together to cater to larger groups of 10 -25 and even larger groups by collaborating with transportation services. Mandy has a current commercial driver’s license and worked professionally as a guide and bus driver for other tour operators for years before launching her own company.

Tour duration

5 hours to multi-day to all-inclusive multi-islands adventures – the choice is yours!

Important info

Please note these are for land based tours but we are happy to collaborate with our favorite boat operators and captains to get you out on the water off Oahu, Kauai and Kona on the Big Island. Mandy has been pioneering pelagic birding trips for years in Hawaii and wants to extend a friendly reminder that conditions out of Kona are usually the most desirable and reliable year round to get off shore in search of pelagic seabirds. Typical conditions off Kauai and Oahu can make getting off shore difficult, especially from November through February. Again, Mandy is eager to get out on the water with you and arrange an amazing adventure; this is just a reminder that all of these trips are weather dependent.

What to bring

• Lightweight rain gear
• Sun protection
• A day pack to carry your valuables and/ or picnic lunch in
• Comfortable closed toes shoes with good traction
• Quick dry lightweight clothing
• Long pants if we’re birding in the forests at low elevation, layers if we’re birding at high elevations
• Walking stick(s) of folding stool if we’re targeting birding and you need some extra stability and/ or have difficulty standing for long periods of time, a sense of adventure, and a smile.

Participation requirements

Most of our activities are designed for guests 10 years and older but we are open to families traveling with younger children upon request.

Read Why People Love Us

Basco eszeki, tripadvisor reviews.

Five stars for Mandy Talpas and her 10-day, 3-island Hawaii birding tour that just wrapped up. Mandy found every one of the birds we targeted, shared her deep knowledge of and passion for Hawaii and its birds and habitats, and made the trip fun with her infectious personality. I recommend Mandy without reservation.

Warren Chad

Google reviews.

Very occasionally you meet and spend time with someone whos infectious enthusiasm, passion and commitment to a chosen endeavour erodes a little of your cynicism and restores a huge chunk of your faith in humanity. Mandy Talpas is one such individual. I have just had the pleasure of spending six days with Mandy birding and photographing on Oahu and Big island.

Nicole Koeltzow

Facebook reviews.

I highly recommend hiring Mandy as a birding guide. She help me get some of the hardest birds in Kauai, Hawaii on a custom trip on my ABA Big Year 2018. We got the Anianiau, Kauai Amakihi, Akeke’e, Akikiki, and Puaiaohi along the Mohihi-Waiale Trail. We hiked 7 to 8 miles to achieve this goal 2 different days in a row. It is tough up-and-down terrain and wet and muddy in places but breath taking too. She is willing to go the distance by returning the next day and hiking rain or shine. Always pointing out hazard spots that could possibly trip you up. She is very friendly and easy to talk to you if you want to talk. Outstanding birder that will find the birds for you.

Hawaii Birding Tour

• Visit 3 Hawaiian islands - Oahu, Kaua'i and The Big Island of Hawai’i
• Many marvelous endemic songbirds in unique forested environments
• Picturesque and spectacular scenery, from smoking volcanic craters to huge waterfalls and scenic coastlines
• Spectacular views of seabirds from coastal viewpoints
• Visit National Wildlife Refuges, Waimea Canyon, the Alaka’i Swamp, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and the incredible Kilauea Crater

Tour Overview

The Hawaiian Islands are quite simply enchanting! Spectacular scenery, mild climate and unique cultures are the backdrop for our Hawaii birding tour of the three islands Hawai’i, Kaua’i and O’ahu.

Known as the endangered species capital of the world, we search for the special endemics of each island, especially the bizarre honeycreepers with intriguing names like ‘I’iwi, ‘Amakihi, ‘Apapane and the amazing ‘Akiapola’au.

Laysan Albatross, Red-footed Booby and both White-tailed and Red-tailed Tropicbirds are marvellously close. Humpback Whales and Spinner Dolphins are just offshore in the incredible blue waters, Green Sea Turtles are along beaches, and the Kilauea Crater is just simply a must-see!

A superb tour to a special place!

Dates & Prices

Dates & prices, what's included, tour price includes.

• All accommodation
• Breakfasts and lunches
• Ground transportation
• 2 short, inter-island flights included
• 4 - 8 participants will be guided by one guide. 9 - 12 participants will be guided by two guides in two vehicles.
• All park, conservation and entrance fees

Tour Price Does Not Include

• Flights to and from start/end location
• Travel Insurance
• Evening meals
• Items of a personal nature

Day 1 - Arrival Oahu

Our Hawaii birding tour begins on Oahu, where we settle into Hawaiian life. Night in Waikiki.

Day 2 - Oahu

O’ahu is the hub of Hawaii, where most Hawaiians live and most tourists come to stay. Nevertheless, there are some excellent birding localities, and we visit some for specialties such as O’ahu ‘Amakihi and the endangered Oahu ‘Elepaio. We visit Kapi’olani Park where White Terns nest and introduced exotics such as Rose-ringed Parakeet, Common Waxbill, Yellow-fronted Canary and Red-whiskered and Red-vented Bulbuls forage. We drive along scenic coastlines, stopping to look for seabirds such as Brown Noddy and Masked Booby, to the James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge, where there should be a large and diverse gathering of waterfowl and shorebirds, including the range-restricted Bristle-thighed Curlew. Night in Waikiki.

Days 3 to 6 - Kaua'i

We take the mid-day flight to our next island, Kaua’i, where we spend the next four nights. Kaua’i is called the “garden island” because of its lush green vegetation, a product of its high annual rainfall. On average 460 inches of rain per year falls in the Alaka’i Swamp region of Kaua’i, making it one of the wettest places on earth. Because Kaua’i is fairly small, we visit much of the island, taking in Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge (the best place in Hawaii for seabirds), Hanalei National Wildlife Refuge for waterbirds, the Hanapepe area, and especially Waimea Canyon, Koke'e State Park and the famous Alaka’i Swamp for a chance at some of Kaua’i’s endemic songbirds.

Kaua’i is a wonderful island, and our days will be full of excellent birding and marvelous scenery. We should do well for seabirds. Our list should include Laysan Albatross, Wedge-tailed Shearwater, White-tailed and Red-tailed Tropicbirds, Great Frigatebird, and both Brown and Red-footed Boobies, often close enough for excellent photographs. Wetlands on the island hold populations of Ae’o or Hawaiian Stilt, Hawaiian Coot, Hawaiian Gallinule, and the endangered Koloa. Around the edge of ponds Japanese Bush-Warbler occur along with the gifted songster the White-rumped Shama. Nene are quite widespread here, and we should find quite a few during our stay.

In the Alaka’i Swamp we look for native forest birds. Some, such as ‘I'iwi and ‘Apapane, will be familiar to us, but others will be new. These include the Kaua’i ‘Amakihi, Kaua’i ‘Elepaio and the Anianiau - a small, yellow, warbler-like honeycreeper. We will also make an effort to track down the increasingly scarce ‘Akeke‘e, whose population has declined dramatically over the past decade. While exploring the forested trails of the Alaka’i Swamp there is always a chance, albeit remote, of finding a great rarity such as the ‘Akikiki or Puaiohi.

Days 7 to 11 - The Big Island of Hawai’i

We reluctantly leave Kaua’i and fly to our last island, The Big Island of Hawai’i, where we spend the first two nights near Volcanoes National Park. In the park we visit the spectacular Kilauea Crater, which has still active steam vents. In the early morning, the songs of the Omao, an endemic Hawaiian thrush, and the ‘Apapane, a crimson honeycreeper with white undertail coverts, should greet us. We spend time looking around the park, for Black (Hawaiian) Noddy along the black lava seacoast, Nene in the lava fields, Kalij Pheasant along easy and pleasant trails, Hwamei rustling about in the undergrowth, and possibly ‘Io just about anywhere cruising over the park. A must-see attraction is the Thurston Lava Tube, a remarkable geologic phenomenon. Here, Omao are more common than elsewhere, along with ‘Apapane and Hawai’i ‘Amakihi.

We transfer to our accommodations in Kona for the next three nights. We visit several localities around the Big Island searching for the many Hawaiian endemics that occur here. On one day we visit the superb Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge, which preserves some of the finest Koa and Ohi’a Lehua forests remaining on the Big Island. Here there are still good populations of ‘I‘iwi, ‘Akepa, Hawai’i ‘Elepaio, Hawai’i ‘Amakihi and Hawai’i Creeper. We will also attempt to find the increasingly rare ‘Akiapola’au, a yellow-green honeycreeper that has one of the most amazing bills in the bird world. The bird feeds on insects hiding in trunks and branches; the lower mandible is used like a woodpecker’s bill - for chipping and chiselling into the wood until the insect larvae is exposed, and then the extraordinary upper mandible, which is long, thin and sickle-shaped, is used to extract the larvae. On another day, we visit Mauna Kea to look for the Palila, the last of the Big Island’s grosbeak honeycreepers that inhabits the Mamane-Naio forests on the upper slopes, as well as a pale subspecies of the highly variable Hawai’i ‘Elepaio.

Introduced species such as Eurasian Sky Lark, Saffron Finch and Red-billed Leiothrix occur here as well. In fact, we will encounter many introduced species during our stay on the islands; on the Big Island, we should encounter species as diverse as Yellow-billed Cardinal, African Silverbill, California Quail, Wild Turkey, Erckel’s and Black Francolin and Java Sparrow.

Day 12 - Departure, Kona

Our Hawaii birding tour concludes today in Kona. You can depart anytime today.

What to Expect

The Hawaii tour is relaxed and leisurely most days. We start some days early, especially on the Big Island, in order to reach our birding destination before the morning activity wanes.  This tour is a marvelous experience, with endemic honeycreepers, superb seabirds, an amazingly diverse flora, breathtaking vistas, colorful marine life, and much more.

We generally have breakfast at the hotel or at a nearby restaurant/coffee shop before we head out for the day. Sometimes we will have optional pre-breakfast walks. We often take a picnic lunch in the field, but will occasionally stop at a restaurant for lunch. Dinner is usually at the lodge or a nearby restaurant. Each evening after dinner we compile the day's checklist, review the day's activities, birds, mammals and other observations, and plan the next day's activities.

Accommodation

Generally we stay in comfortable hotel rooms in locations close to where we want to go birding. 

The walking on this tour is rated as moderate, we spend most of the time walking along fairly easy trails, but some terrain may be steep or slippery. We take these trickier trails at a slow and comfortable pace, but participants should be able to hike 5km (3 miles) up and down moderate grade slopes. Sturdy footwear with ankle support is recommended for some trails (particularly in Kaua’i at the Alaka’i Swamp); otherwise comfortable running shoes are fine for most other activities. 

Most days have a small to moderate amount of driving. There will be two longer drives, but we make several stops along the way. Traffic can be an issue in Kauai, but we will try to avoid that where possible.  

The weather is mostly pleasant, with an average low temperature of 20°C (68°F) and an average high temperature of 27°C (80.6°F), but there will be rain on some days, and on our visits to higher elevations we may encounter coolish and misty conditions. Clothing should be layered, and a light sweater and a waterproof jacket are highly recommended. And don’t forget a hat - Hawaii is tropical!

Featured Wildlife

While we cannot guarantee sightings of the birds or mammals listed below, we believe that encountering these species is quite likely during this tour.

• Laysan Albatross
• White-tailed and Red-tailed Tropicbirds
• Red-footed Booby
• Great Frigatebird
• ‘Io (Hawaiian Hawk)
• Pacific Golden-Plover
• Ae’o (Hawaiian Stilt)
• Wandering Tattler
• Bristle-thighed Curlew
• Hawaiian Noddy
• Pueo (Short-eared Owl)
• O’ahu ‘Elepaio
• Several Hawaiian honeycreepers (Sub-family Drepanidinae) including: Palila, ‘Anianiau, Hawai’i ‘Akepa, ‘I‘iwi and the increasingly rare ‘Akiapola’au
• Humpback Whale
• Spinner Dolphin
• Green Sea Turtle

Past Tour Checklists

View the list of birds and other wildlife we encountered on our past tours.

• Hawaii birding tour species list 2023
• Hawaii birding tour species list 2022
• Hawaii birding tour species list 2019
• Hawaii birding tour species list 2018
• Hawaii birding tour species list 2017
• See More...
• Hawaii birding tour species list 2016
• Hawaii birding tour species list 2015
• Hawaii birding tour species list 2014
• Hawaii birding tour species list 2013
• Hawaii birding tour species list 2011
• Hawaii birding tour species list 2008
• Hawaii birding tour species list 2006
• Hawaii birding tour species list 2005
• Hawaii birding tour species list 2004
• Hawaii birding tour species list 2003

Trip Reports & Inspiration

Tour reviews, you might also like.

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For custom Birding Tours and Bird Photography Tours, and availability, please contact Jack for prices.

Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge

This old growth rainforest refuge is on the eastern slopes of Mauna Kea Volcano and has the best birding for native forest bird species on the Big Island. At the refuge, we start our hike in the parking area at 6,500 feet elevation and hike slowly downhill, birding along the way. Because we are birding, we walk in hours per mile, not miles per hour. Depending on what birds we see, and each client’s abilities, we hike downhill about ½ to ¾ mile along a rough gravel road,looking for birds in the forest trees. The weather, often misty and wet, and hiking conditions that can be slippery over several steep slopes, the hike can be strenuous for anyone unfit, or with heart problems, or other medical conditions that may limit their hiking ability.

This area is a rainforest and gets between 80 and 100 inches of precipitation/rain annually. It will likely rain on us at some point during the day. Generally, the weather is nice in the morning with rainy/misty afternoons. Expect temperatures about 40-60 degrees F, depending on the time of year and cloud cover. Binoculars are the only way to see the tiny birds high in the tree canopy. Scopes generally don’t work well because the birds are constantly moving.

Pu’u La’au and Pu’u O’o Trail

The critically endangered Palila,a finch billed Hawaiian Honeycreeper, is found high on the western slopes of Mauna Kea in the dry Mamani-Naio Forests. This Endangered Honeycreeper feeds almost exclusively on the seeds of the Mamane tree. Once foundin the dry forests on the upper slopes of both Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea, it is now restricted to a small area on Mauna Kea, in and near the Palila Discovery Trail at 7400 ft elevation.This easy to hike loop trail winds through the Mamane-Naio forest for about one mile. Several other native species can be found in this area including the Hawaii Amakihi and the high elevation form of the Hawaii ‘Elepaio.

The Pu’u O’o Trail is on the slopes of Mauna Loa at 6,000 ft elevation. The trail starts along the Saddle Road between the 22-23 milemarkers. This relatively easy to hike trail winds in and out of native forest kipuka and lava flows. The portion that we hike is about two miles round trip, and is home to many native forest birds including I’iwi, ‘Apapane, Hawaii ‘Amakihi, Hawaii ‘Elepaio and the endangered ‘Akiapola’au.

If you are staying in the Hilo area, Jack can pick you up at nearby hotels, hostels or B&B’s. If you are staying in the Kona area, Jack can meet you at a prearranged spot on the Saddle Road.

No deposit is needed to book a trip. We’ll collect funds on the day of the trip. For payment... sorry, we don’t take credit cards…. but do take checks, cash, andPayPal.

If you have any questions or would like to book a trip, please contact Jack at [email protected].

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Hawaii Forest & Trail - Bird Watching Tour at Hakalau National Wildlife Refuge

I truly enjoyed the birdwatching trip.

Ms williams, went above my expectations, 8.5 - 11.5 hour(s) incl. transportation, available tue, pick-up available, breakfast, lunch, not accessible, what to expect.

• Lunch Menu: Sandwich choice of turkey, ham, tuna or veggie, chips, cookie, sodas and juice drinks.

Hakalau Forest Adventure

Price per Adult :

Hakalau Forest Reserve - Private Ohana Outing Tour (up to 10 passengers)

Price per 1 Group :

Check-in at Kona Office & Pick-up from Waikoloa

Breakfast at Mauna Kea State Park

Arrive at Hakalau National Refuge

Picnic style lunch

Depart Hakalau National Refuge

Drop-off in Waikoloa & Return to Kona Office

Transportation add-ons

Pick-up/check-in time & location.

Drop-off/Check-out Time & Location

• Front Entrance

• Lower Lobby

• Main Lodge by the Restrooms

• In front of Charlie's Thai Restaurant

• Main Entrance / Lobby

• Park near Rocko's Country Cookin' Restaurant & meet the guide at the curbside by the vacant lot

16:30-17:30

Important activity information

Restrictions.

• This activity is not wheelchair accessible.
• Guests should be able to hike on uneven or rocky terrain. We sometimes encounter cool, wet or muddy conditions.
• Children 8 years old and above can participate in this activity.

Additional notes

• The activity schedule is subject to change or cancellation due to weather or traffic conditions.
• The menu is subject to change without notice.
• Gratuity is not included in the price.

Required items to bring & attire

• Closed toe shoes

Booking requirements (# of participants, vehicles, hours, etc.)

• You can book a maximum of 10.

• You can book a minimum of 1 and maximum of 1.

Travelers interested in this activity also viewed

Traveler's photos.

Overall rating

I truly enjoyed the birdwatching trip. Our guide, Mark, was fantastic -- he educated us on the birds we would hopefully see and was helpful with questions about other wildlife in the area. I also enjoyed meeting the re ... st of the group on the tour -- wish I would have thought to exchange contact information to get some of the photos one couple was taking during the trip.

This trip was worth every penny and more. The guide, Garry, was knowledgeable and went beyond to find all the birds on our list and spent extra time helping all see them. Guide, John, knew every native plant I asked abou ... t growing among the beautiful lava path. The tour was like being part of a scene from an Indiana Jones movie. Will be back to do the other NWR ecotour since I loved it so much.

surprisingly fun

My wife, who is an avid bird watcher, convinced me to come on this tour. Okay, she basically dragged me here...and I seriously thought I was going to be miserable and bored the whole time....but I was honestly amazed at ... how much fun I had! It was an entire day, but it didn't feel too long at all...in fact, there were so many new birds that I had never seen before that we were learning the names of and all, that I felt like by day's end we were just skimming the surface of all these rare species! My wife teases me now when we talk about it, that I might have had even more fun than her! Great tour.

Activity Provider Hawaii Forest & Trail (Big Island)

Activity provider, payment / cancellation policy.

• Credit card payment

• Any cancellations made after 15:00 local time, 3 business days prior to the activity will be subject to a charge of 100% of the total amount.
• Any changes made after 15:00 local time, 3 business days prior to the activity will be subject to a charge of 100% of the total amount. This includes, but not limited to, change of the activity date/ time, package, the number of participants, etc.

Payment Methods

Cancellation Policy

Change policy, are we allowed to feed the birds.

No, for the health and safety of the birds, you are not allowed to feed them.

Can I bring my own snacks and drinks?

Yes, you can bring your own snacks and drinks, but please note that lunch and drinks are included.

How far in advance should I book this activity?

We recommend booking at least 4-5 weeks in advance. If you have very specific schedule requirements and are not flexible, please book sooner. Last minute availability is often possible, but limited.

Is giving a tip (gratuity) required?

Gratuity is never required, but if you enjoyed your experience a tip is always greatly appreciated!

Is this activity suitable for children?

This activity is not recommended for children under 8-years-old since it is a rather strenuous four-mile up-hill hike.

Please visit VELTRA Support page to send an inquiry about this activity.

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Endangered Hawaiian Birds Making a Comeback!

• Bird Watching Tours

• See rare and endangered Hawaiian species
• Visit a natural area reserve with very limited access
• 2 to 4 miles of hiking with 650' of elevation gain
• Binoculars included

Description

The Hakalau Birdwatching Adventure takes you on a 4wd Mercedes Sprinter into the heart of a restricted National Wildlife Refuge for Hawaii's best birdwatching. High on the forest slopes of Mauna Kea, you will look for the endangered akiapolaau, omao (Hawaiian thrush), iiwi, apapane, and other endemics. Your interpretive guide is an expert bird tracker. You'll also discover rare native plants and animals, including carniverous caterpillars and happ-faced spiders.

You are welcome to bring your own birdwatching or photography gear on this tour, but binoculars are provided. The total hiking distance is between 2 and 4 miles depending on bird activity. There is up to 650′ feet of elevation gain during the four hours of birdwatching. Transporation to/from the birdwatching area is about two hours each way. Allow 11-12 hours for the entire experience.

Hakalau Forest Birding Adventure Rate (HFT4s)

$260.00 per Participant   (plus 4.712% Hawaii sales tax)

Guests staying in the Kona Downtown area meet at the Hawaii Forest and Trail Store: GPS Address: 73-5593 A Olowalu St., Kailua-Kona, HI 96740 Click to view map

Guests staying in the Waikoloa area meet at the Queen's Marketplace Shopping Center: GPS Address: 69-201 Waikoloa Beach Dr, Waikoloa, HI 96738 Click to view map

Schedule: Tuesdays

Duration: About 11 hours

Hiking Distance: 2-4 miles with approximately 650 feet of elevation gain

Maximum Group Size: 10 guests

Pickup: Meet at the Hawaii Forest and Trail Kona location at 6:30am, or pickup in the Waikoloa Beach area around 7:15am.

What to Wear: Sturdy closed-toed shoes or boots, long pants, and a light rain jacket.

Gear Provided: Walking sticks, binoculars, day packs, warm wear and rain ponchos (if needed)

Tour Includes: Continental breakfast including fresh local fruit, baked goods, 100% Kona coffee, tea and hot chocolate,deli-style lunch, with assorted soft drinks, juices and bottled water.

Restrictions: Guests should be in reasonably good physical condition and able to hike on uneven or rocky terrain. Minimum age is 8. This tour sometimes encounters cool, wet or muddy conditions. Other tour restrictions may apply.

Reservations: Advanced reservations required and we recommend booking this a month or more before your arrival. This event is "RESERVE NOW PAY LATER"; we need a credit card on file to finalize your reservation but we do not charge you for your space until a few days before the beginning of your vacation!

Minimum Notice for Cancellations / Changes: At least 48 hours before the start of the event.

This is a unique opportunity to enter into a rare, native eco-system. Much like our endemic marine life, Hawaii is home to birds that are not found anywhere else in the world! On this tour, you can expect to hike about 4 miles. You must be able to hike on uneven and rocky terrain. Sometimes we encounter cool, wet, or muddy conditions so sturdy, closed-toed shoes or boots are required. You will want to wear long pants and bring a rain jacket as well.

Binoculars are provided on this tour, but feel free to bring any of your own birdwatching gear. There is usually opportunity to take pictures, so bring your camera as well … the longer and faster the lens the better, but do keep in mind the weight issues and the importance of protecting camera gear from the elements. This tour provides a continental breakfast including fresh local fruit, baked goods, 100% Kona coffee, tea and hot chocolate and a deli-style lunch, with assorted beverages.

Bird watching might not sound like an ADVENTURE per se for some people ... but we include it in this category because it does require some physical effort with the hiking. There's also a sense of accomplishment when you find select species of endangered birds. You'll go back to your resort KNOWING that you got to see something precious and rare and all those people who did nothing but lay around the pool all day getting sunburned don't have any idea what they missed out on!

• Birding on Kauai: The Ultimate Guide to the Best Bird Watching Spots (2023)

by Bryan Murphy | Nov 1, 2023

Birding on Kauai island of   Kauai can be an exciting yet overwhelming endeavor with its rich variety of   avian species. Known as a birdwatcher’s paradise, Kauai is home to numerous endemic birds that are unique to this Hawaiian Island.

Planning Your Trip? Use Our Favorite Resources!

Key takeaways of birding on kauai, why birding on kauai, hawaii, birds of kauai: variety of bird species on kauai, open country birds, marine birds, forest birds, urban birds, wetland birds, top bird-watching spots on kauai island, kōkeʻe state park, kīlauea national wildlife refuge, wailua river valley, recommended birding tours on kauai in 2023, hawaii bird tours, kauai north shore customized birding tours, tips for first-time bird watchers in kauai, faqs of birding on kauai, 1. what is birding on kauai, 2. where are the best places for bird watching on kauai, 3. what kind of birds can i see in kauai, 4. do we need a guide for birding tours on this island, 5. can i also spot seabirds when i am touring around the island, 6. what are some of the common terms associated with birds of hawaii, 7. can i expect to see waterbirds while birding on kauai, 8. are there any specific birds mentioned that are natural to kauai, bird watching on kauai wrap-up, related posts.

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This Birding on Kauai post is written by Bryan Murphy , an expert in Hawaii travel and a top-rated podcast host. The post may contain affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission that goes back into maintaining this site if you use the provided links.

Information Disclaimer: This website gives general info and isn’t legal or official advice. It helps travelers with tips but can’t replace personal abilities, fitness, experience, or local knowledge, which you are fully liable for. All activities have risks; assess current conditions and follow local laws and signage.

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This guide aims to provide you with the best birding spots   and useful tips for an optimal birding experience in this tropical haven. Ready to uncover what makes Kauai a fantastic choice for your next birding adventure?

• Kauai is a paradise for bird-watching with its unique endemic species that can’t be found anywhere else in the world.
• The island offers diverse habitats such as open country, marine areas, forests, urban landscapes, and wetlands, where you can spot different types of birds.
• Top bird-watching spots on Kauai include Kōke’e State Park, Kīlauea National Wildlife Refuge, and Wailua River Valley.
• Hiring a professional bird guide like Birdingpal or Hawaii Bird Tours can enhance your experience and help you spot rare and unique Hawaiian species.

Kauai is a dream spot for bird watchers. It’s home to many birds you can’t find anywhere else. These birds are called “endemic.” This means Kauai is the only place in the world where these birds live.

So, birding on Kauai lets you see some   one-of-a-kind wildlife .

From pro bird watchers to folks who just enjoy nature, everyone loves birding on Kauai. You don’t need to be an expert – anyone can have fun spotting Kauai’s   unique and colorful birds .

Plus, there’s more than just seeing new kinds of birds here! Birding lets you take in all the beauty Kauai has to offer, like   lush forest sights and stunning ocean views.

You’ll also find many different kinds of bird tours. Take a tour with Birdingpal if you want someone who knows lots about birds to show you around.

A guide can help make your trip even better by showing where to look for certain types of rare or unique island-only (or endemic!) Hawaiian species.

Kauai is home to a diverse range of bird species, including open country birds, marine birds, forest birds, urban birds, and wetland birds.

You will find   Open Country Birds in Kauai. Koke’e State Park is a great place to see them. You can also go to   Kīlauea National Wildlife Refuge   for the same experience.

Wailua River Valley, too, has many Open Country Bird species.

Try taking a birding tour to help find these birds. Birdingpal and   Hawaii Bird Tours   are two good choices. They take you on fun trips and show you all kinds of Open Country Birds in Kauai!

• Endemics:  The Nene, or Hawaiian Goose, and the ‘Io, or Hawaiian Hawk
• Forest and open land birds:  The O’ahu ‘elepaio, Kaua’i ‘elepaio, Hawai’i ‘elepaio, Hawai’i ‘amakihi, Kaua’i ‘amakihi, O’ahu ‘amakihi, Anianiau, and Akekee
• Wetland birds:  The Hawaiian coot, also known as ʻalae keʻokeʻo
• Seabirds:  The Hawaiian Petrel (Uaʻu)

In Kauai, you can see many types of marine birds. The Kīlauea National Wildlife Refuge is a top place to spot them.

Here, birds like Red-footed boobies and Laysan albatross fly in from the sea.

You can also find these seabirds on tours with Hawaii Bird Tours or BirdingPal. They offer trips that take you close to the ocean where these birds live.

You may even see some at Wailua River Valley! This spot is excellent for bird watching, too.

In Kauai, the forest is full of birds. You can see them in places like Koke’e State Park and Wailua River Valley. Two types you might spot are ‘Apapane and Kaua’i akepa.

These birds only live here, nowhere else on Earth! Plus, there are birding tours.

They will take you to spots where these birds love to hang out in the rainforest. Going on a tour is fun and helps keep nature safe for all!

So come see our forest birds in their home right here on Kauai island.

In addition to the diverse range of bird species found in Kauai’s open country, marine areas, forests, and wetlands, the island is also home to various urban birds.

These birds can be spotted throughout the island’s towns, often near residential areas and parks.

Common urban bird species include the Zebra Dove, Java Sparrow, Red-crested Cardinal, and Japanese White-eye.

You might even catch sight of some introduced bird species like Myna Birds or Common Waxbills.

So watch for these feathered friends as you explore Kauai’s urban landscapes!

Kauai has a variety of bird species, and among them are the wetland birds. These birds can be found in the Wailua River Valley, which is a popular spot for observing them.

If you want to have a better chance of seeing these beautiful creatures, it is recommended to hire a bird guide who knows where to find them.

Don’t forget to bring your   binoculars ,   field guide , and   birding vest   to comfortably observe the wetland birds from afar. The best time to see them is   early morning, right after sunrise .

So make sure to set your alarm clock and get ready for an amazing bird-watching experience on Kauai!

Explore the beauty of Kōkeʻe State Park, Kīlauea National Wildlife Refuge, and Wailua River Valley for incredible bird-watching opportunities in Kauai.

Kōkeʻe State Park is a must-visit spot for bird-watching in Kauai. With its   beautiful trails, you can see some incredible birds   like the ‘Apapane and Kaua’i akepa .

Right next to the park is the Alakai Wilderness, where you can find even more unique bird species. The Pihea and Alakai Swamp trails in Kokee are especially great for observing native forest birds like the ‘I’iwi.

So don’t forget to bring your binoculars and explore these amazing birding spots at Kōkeʻe State Park !

Kīlauea National Wildlife Refuge is a must-visit spot for bird-watching in Kauai . This refuge offers the chance to see a   wide variety of birds , from regular residents to migratory seabirds like   Red-footed Boobies   and   Laysan Albatross .

You can expect an exciting and diverse birding experience here. Just keep in mind that the tour involves standing, short walks on uneven and wet terrain, frequent stops, and getting in and out of the tour van.

So be sure to wear lightweight long pants and waterproof hiking shoes, and bring a lightweight sweater or fleece for added comfort.

The   Wailua River Valley   is a   must-visit spot for bird watchers in Kauai. This beautiful valley is known for its diverse bird species and stunning scenery.

You can spot birds such as the Kōloa, which is a Hawaiian duck, and the ‘Alae ke’oke’o, also known as the Hawaiian coot.

Take your binoculars and explore this paradise of unique feathered creatures while enjoying the beauty of nature at its finest.

If you’re looking for a guided bird-watching experience on Kauai, be sure to check out Birdingpal, Hawaii Bird Tours, and   Kauai North Shore Customized Birding Tours .

These tours will take you to some of the best bird-watching spots on the island and provide knowledgeable guides to enhance your birding adventure.

Don’t miss out on these incredible opportunities to see Kauai’s amazing avian wildlife up close!

Are you interested in bird watching on Kauai? If so, Birdingpal offers recommended   birding tours   that will help you explore the best bird watching spots on the island.

Their tours are led by a   knowledgeable guide , Mandy Talpas, who will ensure that you have a great time while learning about Hawaii’s unique flora and fauna.

These tours involve   activities like standing, short walks   on uneven and wet terrain, frequent stops, and getting in and out of the tour van. If you decide to go on a group trip with Birdingpal, make sure to cancel at least 48 hours in advance for a full refund.

For private tours, you have up to 7 days to cancel outside of which you can get a full refund. So get ready for an exciting bird-watching adventure with Birdingpal!

Hawaii Bird Tours is a   highly recommended option   for birding tours on Kauai. Led by experienced guide Mandy Talpas, these tours offer   customized excursions   where you can learn about the unique flora and fauna of Hawaii while having a great time.

The tours involve   short walks on uneven terrain , frequent stops, and getting in and out of the tour van. It’s important to wear lightweight long pants, waterproof hiking shoes, and bring rain gear for your comfort.

Don’t forget to bring your camera, binoculars, sun protection, layered clothing, daypack for lunch and water as well. With Hawaii Bird Tours, you’ll have an unforgettable bird-watching experience on Kauai!

If you’re looking for a   personalized birdwatching experience   on Kauai, then Kauai North Shore Customized Birding Tours is the perfect option for you. These tours cater to birdwatching enthusiasts and offer   private tour options .

The website is currently being updated, but you can find information about their tours categorized by island, including Kauai. They provide   pelagic tours and multiple island tours   as well.

You’ll also find different styles of tours to choose from, such as multi-day trips, day trips, and custom tours. So if you want a unique and   tailored birdwatching adventure   on Kauai, check out Kauai North Shore Customized Birding Tours.

If you’re new to bird watching on Kauai, here are some tips to help you get started. First, make sure you bring the right gear. A   good pair of binoculars   is essential for getting a closer look at the birds.

You might also want to consider investing in a field guide or downloading a birding app to help with identification.

Next, be sure to dress appropriately for your birding adventure. Wear   comfortable shoes   as you may be walking on uneven terrain. A hat with a wide brim can protect you from the sun, and don’t forget   sunscreen !

When it comes to finding birds, it’s helpful to hire a   professional bird guide . They know the best spots and can point out different species that you might not have noticed otherwise.

Plus, they can provide valuable information about the behavior and habitat of each bird.

Lastly, be patient and observant during your bird-watching experience. Birds are often more active in the early morning or late afternoon, so plan your outings accordingly.

Take your time and enjoy being in nature – you never know what unique species you might encounter on Kauai!

Looking for more fun things to do on Kauai? Check out this guide here !

Birding on Kauai means watching many types of birds found only in Hawaii. The island has forests, lowlands, and parks full of different species.

The best spots for bird watching are at state parks like Kokee State Park, trails near Poipu, and wildlife refuges such as Hanalei National Wildlife Refuge or Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge.

You can spot endemic birds like Hawaiian coot, Elepaio, Anianiau or even endangered species like ‘I’iwi and Akikiki! Also expect to see introduced birds that came from another part of the world.

Having a guide is often useful because they know where specific species live and how to identify them. Plus they understand local rules about protecting animal homes!

Yes! You could have a perfect view seabirds such as tropicbirds or red-footed boobies along with Hawaii’s ocean life during pelagic birding adventure boat trips.

Some common terms associated with birds of Hawaii include “birds of Hawaii,” “Hawaii birding,” “Kauai amakihi,” “Kauai elepaio,” “Hawaiian goose,” and “apapane.”

Yes, there are waterbirds you may be able to see while birding on Kauai, such as the black-necked stilt and the gallinule.

Yes, there are several bird species mentioned in this guide that are natural to Kauai, such as the Kauai amakihi, Kauai elepaio, and the apapane.

Birding on Kauai is an exciting adventure for bird enthusiasts. With its diverse habitats and endemic species, the island offers incredible opportunities for bird watching.

From Koke’e State Park to the Wailua River Valley, there are plenty of top spots to see a wide variety of birds.

Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced birder, hiring a professional guide can enhance your experience and help you spot rare birds. So grab your binoculars and get ready for an   unforgettable birding experience on Kauai !

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Bryan Murphy is the owner of Hawaii’s Best Travel and is a recognized authority on responsible travel to Hawaii. Combining years of on-ground experience with insights from the top-rated podcast, Hawaii’s Best, he connects with a broad online community, offering a richer, more responsible way to experience Hawaii.

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Aloha, we're Bryan Murphy and Ali Murphy, a family of five that loves exploring Hawaii. Through Hawaii's Best, we share our top places to visit, stay, and responsible travel. Learn Hawaiian culture and how to support local. With years of experience, we're known experts in responsible Hawaii travel. Listen to our top-rated podcast, " Hawaii’s Best Travel ," and join our free online community of Hawaii lovers. Learn More ->

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Maui Birding - Group Tour

Only Birdwatching Company On Maui

Explore a Bird Lovers Paradise

Expert Guided Maui Birdwatching

Experience Maui’s Incredible & Diverse Birdlife Together

Come with us on this group bird watching Maui tour , where we head to Haleakala National Park and Kealia Wildlife Refuge. Join fellow birders, bird lovers, and other wildlife enthusiasts on this specialized excursion and discover the unique species of birds found on the island , learn about their habits and the various ecosystems in which they thrive, as well about their importance in Hawaiian culture and legends. A checklist will be provided for all birds living on Maui, including their Hawaiian names, and you can borrow our binoculars if you didn’t bring your own.

Trip Details

What you'll do.

• Good to Know
• Entrance fees to Haleakala National Park ($15pp)
• Water, juices & soda, hot beverages, snacks
• Picnic lunch
• Rain ponchos/umbrellas
• Hiking poles
• First aid kit
• Reef-safe sunscreen

Departure time

8 am (between 7:15 am and 7:45 am for South Maui hotels–specific pick-up time will be communicated the day prior)

Meeting point

We’ll pick you up from your accommodation in Kihei and Wailea, or meet you at the Maui Tropical Plantation.

Season availability

Our birding tours are available all year round!

Weekly availability

Tuesday and/or Thursday only

4-8 (a minimum of 4 passengers is required to run the tour)

What to bring

• Layered & warm clothes
• Comfortable walking shoes
• Your own binoculars or scope
• Phone/camera

Physical Requirements

While this tour can be customized to fit your physical abilities and can be very mellow, guests still must be able to enter and exit the vehicle unassisted. Please contact us for details.

Drive up to the 10,023ft summit of Haleakala National Park

Walk around the native and alien-looking silversword endemic plants

Explore Hosmer’s Grove in search of the ‘Apapane, ‘I’iwi, ‘Alauahio (Maui Creeper), ‘Amakihi, Pueo (Short-eared Owl), Nene (Hawaiian Goose), and other birds that live in the park

Travel to Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge to look for the Hawaiian Stilt, the Hawaiian Coot, and other beautiful shore birds!

Discover exotic birds on a beautiful scenic golf course

This tour is for all the bird and nature lovers!

On this tour, we start with visiting the summit of Haleakala National Park in search of the endemic Pueo (Hawaiian Short-eared Owl), the Nene (Hawaiian Goose), and the Chukar , as we make our way above the clouds and marvel at the amazing views into the “crater.”

At Hosmer’s Grove, we spend a while looking at our endemic ‘Apapane, ‘I’iwi, ‘Amakihi, and if we’re lucky ‘Alauahio (Maui Creeper), as well as other birds that live in the park.

After a picnic lunch in the park, we head to the Kealia National Wildlife Refuge to find shorebirds and migrants . Local residents include the Black-crown Night Heron, Hawaiian Coots, the elegant Hawaiian Stilts, Wandering Tattlers, and different species of ducks. Depending on the season and our luck, we might find winter-time migrants like the White-faced Ibis, Sandpipers, Long-billed Dowitcher, Ruddy Turnstones, and others.

We will provide a checklist so you can keep track of your progress. On any given day, we can find a total of between 18 and 32 species . Guests will also enjoy complimentary juices, snacks, and a full picnic lunch while learning about the ecology, history, and the myths and legends of Maui.

All levels of birding enthusiasm welcome –from hardcore listers to first-timers!

Note: a minimum of 4 participants is required to run this tour. In the unlikely event this number is not reached on your scheduled tour, we will be in touch to discuss options and either reschedule, convert into a private tour, or cancel with a full refund.

Important Details

• Please note: It is extremely important to ensure that all shoes and gear are free of potential debris from the Big Island & Kauai in attempts to help stop the spread of the Rapid Ohia death fungus that is killing Ohia Lehua trees.
• Due to the fact our native honeycreepers have been decimated by avian malaria, we have to drive to 7,000 ft elevation to find them. We also drive to the summit of Haleakala for a chance at finding Nene, Pueo, and Chukars (and breathtaking views too!) We do our best to spend as much time as possible at the viewing spots, however, be aware that we have to do a fair amount of driving on this tour.
• Temperatures at Haleakala can be 20-40 degrees cooler than sea level, and the weather is unpredictable, so we recommend bringing a rain jacket and a hoodie.

See What Our Previous Guests Say

Tripreviewer91, tripadvisor.

In total, we saw some 30 or so birds including the Nene, I’iwi, Apapane, Amakihi, Alauahio/Maui creeper and the Pueo/Hawaiian short-eared owl.

Though I have been to Maui many times, this tour has changed how I think about wetlands and birds. I can now identify many bird species, understand how they eat, reproduce, and otherwise interact with their environment. I loved this tour. I’m now recommending it to my visiting friends.

Great tour for birdwatching. The tour guide Wendy is very knowledgeable and pleasant. I took some good photos of Apapane and Amakihi. The whole day went by so fast! I would recommend it to other birdwatchers and will do it again next time!

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Birdwatching Tours on the Big Island

Big Island is home to some of the best birding in the state; and, indeed, the world. Some of the rarest and endangered birds and plants on the planet can be observed here. Head to the lush Hakalau Rainforest with an expert tracker and search for Elepaio, Amakihi, Iiwi, Akiapolaau, Akepa, and more. Along the way, spot fascinating animals such as happy-faced spiders and carnivorous caterpillars found only in Hawaii. You’ll be amazed at the beauty of so many exceptional species.

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More cows are being tested and tracked for bird flu. Here’s what that means

by: JONEL ALECCIA and LAURA UNGAR, Associated Press

Posted: Apr 24, 2024 / 11:25 AM HST

Updated: Apr 24, 2024 / 11:25 AM HST

U.S. health and agriculture officials are ramping up testing and tracking of bird flu in dairy cows in an urgent effort to understand — and stop — the growing outbreak.

So far, the risk to humans remains low, officials said, but scientists are wary that the virus could change to spread more easily among people.

The virus, known as Type A H5N1, has been detected in nearly three dozen dairy herds in eight states. Inactive viral remnants have been found in grocery store milk. Tests also show the virus is spreading between cows, including those that don’t show symptoms, and between cows and birds, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Starting Monday, hundreds of thousands of lactating dairy cows in the U.S. will have to be tested — with negative results — before they can be moved between states, under terms of a new federal order.

Here’s what you need to know about the ongoing bird flu investigation:

WHY IS THIS OUTBREAK SO UNUSUAL?

This strain of what’s known as highly pathogenic avian influenza has been circulating in wild birds for decades. In recent years, it has been detected in scores of mammals around the world. Most have been wild animals, such as foxes and bears, that ate sick or dying birds. But it’s also appeared in farmed minks. It’s shown up in aquatic mammals, such as harbor seals and porpoises, too. The virus was even found in a polar bear in northern Alaska.

The virus was discovered in ruminants — goats and then dairy cows — in the U.S. this spring, surprising many scientists who have studied it for years.

“When we think of influenza A, cows are not typically in that conversation,” said Richard Webby, an influenza expert at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Flu viruses are notorious for adapting to spread among new species, so detection in dairy cows raises concerns it could spread to people, Webby said.

HOW LONG HAS BIRD FLU BEEN SPREADING IN COWS?

Scientists confirmed the virus in cows in March after weeks of reports from dairy farms that the animals were falling ill. Symptoms included lethargy, sharply reduced milk supply and changes to the milk, which became thick and yellow.

Finding remnants of the virus in milk on the market “suggests that this has been going on longer, and is more widespread, than we have previously recognized,” said Matthew Aliota, a veterinary medicine researcher at the University of Minnesota.

Under pressure from scientists, USDA officials released new genetic data about the outbreak this week.

The data omitted some information about when and where samples were collected, but showed that the virus likely was spread by birds to cattle late last year, said Michael Worobey, an evolutionary biologist with the University of Arizona.

Since then, it has spread among cattle and among farms, likely through contact with physical objects such as workers’ shoes, trucks or milking machines, Worobey said.

And then the cows spread the virus back to birds, he said.

“The genetic evidence is as clear as could be,” Worobey said. “Birds that are sampled on these farms have viruses with clear mammalian adaptations.”

WHAT DO SCIENTISTS SAY ABOUT EFFORTS TO TRACK THE OUTBREAK?

Several experts said the USDA’s plans to require testing in cows are a good start.

“We need to be able to do greater surveillance so that we know what’s going on,” said Thomas Friedrich, a virology professor at the University of Wisconsin’s veterinary school.

Worobey said the ideal would be to screen every herd. Besides looking for active infections, agriculture officials also should be looking at whether cows have antibodies to the virus, indicating past infections, he said.

“That is a really accessible and quick way to find out how widespread this is,” he said.

More testing of workers exposed to infected animals is also crucial, experts said. Some farm owners and some individual workers have been reluctant to work with public health officials during the outbreak, experts have said.

“Increased surveillance is essentially an early warning system,” Aliota said. “It helps to characterize the scope of the problem, but also to head off potentially adverse consequences.”

HOW BIG A RISK DOES BIRD FLU POSE FOR PEOPLE?

Scientists are working to analyze more samples of retail milk to confirm that pasteurization, or heat-treating, kills the H5N1 virus, said Dr. Don Prater, acting director of the FDA’s food safety center. Those results are expected soon.

While the general public doesn’t need to worry about drinking pasteurized milk, experts said they should avoid raw or unpasteurized milk.

Also, dairy farm workers should consider extra precautions, such as masking, hand washing and changing work clothes, Aliota said.

So far, 23 people have been tested for the virus during the outbreak in dairy cows, with one person testing positive for a mild eye infection, CDC officials said. At least 44 people who were exposed to infected animals in the current outbreak are being monitored for symptoms.

WHAT ARE SCIENTISTS’ CONCERNS FOR THE FUTURE?

David O’Connor, a virology expert at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, likened recent bird flu developments to a tornado watch versus a warning.

“There are some of the ingredients that would be necessary for there to be a threat, but we’re not there,” he said. As with a tornado watch, “you wouldn’t change anything about how you live your daily life, but you would maybe just have a bit of increased awareness that something is happening.”

Worobey said this is the kind of outbreak “that we were hoping, after COVID, would not go unnoticed. But it has.”

He said ambitious screening is needed “to detect things like this very quickly, and potentially nip them in the bud.”

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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I visited the island that's been called the 'Hawaii of Europe.' Here's why it's a must-see hidden gem.

• I visited Madeira, Portugal, which is often referred to as the " Hawaii of Europe."
• Madeira offers a mild climate all year, rugged coastlines, and a bustling city center.
• I recommend checking out places like Monte Palace and the Cabo Girão skywalk.

When I visited Madeira, Portugal , I found an island paradise brimming with natural wonders and cultural opportunities.

From outdoor adventures to trips to the enchanting Funchal city center, this Portuguese hidden gem has sparked comparisons to Hawaii due to the island's striking volcanic features, black-sand beaches, and towering peaks.

Madeira is the perfect blend of a tropical and European vacation, coupled with its yearlong mild climate, rugged coastlines, cascading waterfalls, and verdant cliffs.

With visitation at an all-time high , there's never been a better time to explore Portugal. Here are seven things you have to do while in Madeira.

Get a taste of outdoor adventure while hiking.

The view from the Pico do Arieiro mountaintop left me speechless.

You can truly appreciate Madeira's diverse landscapes from up there: jagged peaks, verdant valleys, and the endless expanse of the Atlantic Ocean stretching out before you.

I opted for a car ride to the top, but if you plan to hike, I recommend heading to the Vereda dos Balcões trail or the challenging but rewarding Levada do Caldeirão Verde.

When you need a break from hiking, catch a ride on the Funchal cable cars.

Located in the city center, the Funchal cable cars offer spectacular views as they ascend from Funchal to the charming village of Monte. It's perfect if you're traveling with family, including kids or elders.

Once in Monte, you can visit one of the island's main attractions, Monte Palace.

Monte Palace is the best botanical garden I’ve ever been to.

Monte Palace houses a huge collection of exotic plants from all over the world. The tropical gardens are also home to gorgeous birds like swans, flamingos, peacocks, and chickens.

From its beautiful gardens to its collection of ceramic tiles and precious gemstones, this place feels like a hidden oasis in the midst of the city.

If you're looking for an adrenaline rush, check out the Cabo Girão skywalk.

If there's something I love as much as the outdoors, it's a unique experience . So when I heard of Cabo Girão, the highest sea cliff in Europe , I knew I had to visit.

The top of the cliff features a unique glass-floored skywalk suspended over 1,900 feet above sea level. When standing on the glass, I got unmatched views of Madeira's rugged coastline and the crashing waves underneath.

When in Madeira, skip the beer and stick to its famous wine.

In addition to being the name of the name of the island, Madeira is also a type of fortified wine. Needless to say, you can't leave without visiting a vineyard to learn more about the island's winemaking heritage.

I highly recommend booking a guided tour with a tasting to see the grapes firsthand and gain insights into the intricate aging process that gives these wines unique flavors.

Take a trip to the local market.

Whenever I visit a new city or country, I like to stop at the local farmers market . In Madeira, I visited the Mercado dos Lavradores, which is located in the heart of Funchal.

It was a great opportunity to sample local delicacies while buying souvenirs from local craftsmen.

For a glimpse into everyday life, don’t skip a visit to the Camara da Lobos fishing village.

Away from the city center and less frequented by tourists , the picturesque fishing village of Camara da Lobos offers a slice of authentic island life.

Grab a poncha, a local Madeira cocktail, and admire the dozens of art murals that surround the community, all while enjoying the colorful harbor and fishermen unloading their catch of the day.

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Hawaii lawmakers take aim at vacation rentals after Lahaina wildfire amplifies Maui housing crisis

FILE - Naldo Valentine, who lost his home to the Lahaina wildfire, puts up a light as darkness falls at a housing protest on Kaanapali Beach Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2023, in Lahaina, Hawaii. A group of survivors were camping on the resort beach to protest and raise awareness for better long-term housing options for those displaced. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File)

FILE - Carlos Lamas looks out to the sea from his spot at the “Fish-in” protest on, Friday, Dec. 1, 2023, in Lahaina, Hawaii. Lahaina Strong has set up a “Fish-in” to protest living accommodations for those displaced by the Aug. 8, 2023 wildfire, the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century. (AP Photo/Ty O’Neil, File)

This 2023 image provided by Amy Chadwick shows where her home used to stand after a wildfire in Lahaina, on the Hawaiian island of Maui. Chadwick moved to Florida where she could stretch her homeowners insurance dollars. She’s worried Maui’s exorbitant rental prices, which she blames in part on vacation rentals hogging up limited housing supply, will hollow out her tight-knit town by similarly forcing others to leave. (Amy Chadwick via AP)

Amy Chadwick, stands by map of Hawaii at her current home Monday, April 8, 2024, in Satellite Beach, Fla. Chadwick, a victim of the fires in Hawaii moved to Florida where she could stretch her homeowners insurance dollars while she waits for her lot to be cleared and for permission to rebuild. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

This July 2023 image provided by Amy Chadwick shows the backyard of her home in Lahaina, on the Hawaiian island of Maui. The home was destroyed in the Lahaina wildfire. Chadwick moved to Florida where she could stretch her homeowners insurance dollars. She’s worried Maui’s exorbitant rental prices, which she blames in part on vacation rentals hogging up limited housing supply, will hollow out her tight-knit town by similarly forcing others to leave. (Amy Chadwick via AP)

Amy Chadwick poses at her current home with her pets, Monday, April 8, 2024, in Satellite Beach, Fla. Chadwick, a victim of the fires in Hawaii, moved to Florida where she could stretch her homeowners insurance dollars while she waits for her lot to be cleared and for permission to rebuild. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

Amy Chadwick poses outside her current home Monday, April 8, 2024, in Satellite Beach, Fla. Chadwick, a victim of the fires in Hawaii, moved to Florida where she could stretch her homeowners insurance dollars while she waits for her lot to be cleared and for permission to rebuild. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

Amy Chadwick poses her current home Monday, April 8, 2024, in Satellite Beach, Fla. Chadwick, a victim of the fires in Hawaii moved to Florida where she could stretch her homeowners insurance dollars while she waits for her lot to be cleared and for permission to rebuild. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

This 2021 image provided by Amy Chadwick shows her home in Lahaina, on the Hawaiian island of Maui. The home was destroyed in the Lahaina wildfire. Chadwick moved to Florida where she could stretch her homeowners insurance dollars. She’s worried Maui’s exorbitant rental prices, which she blames in part on vacation rentals hogging up limited housing supply, will hollow out her tight-knit town by similarly forcing others to leave. (Amy Chadwick via AP)

This image provided by Amy Chadwick shows her neighborhood after a wildfire destroyed her home in Lahaina, on the Hawaiian island of Maui. Chadwick moved to Florida where she could stretch her homeowners insurance dollars. She’s worried Maui’s exorbitant rental prices, which she blames in part on vacation rentals hogging up limited housing supply, will hollow out her tight-knit town by similarly forcing others to leave. (Amy Chadwick via AP)

FILE - Burned cars and propane tanks with markings on them sit outside a house destroyed by wildfire, Friday, Dec. 8, 2023, in Lahaina, Hawaii. An acute housing shortage hitting fire survivors on the Hawaiian island of Maui is squeezing out residents even as they try to overcome the loss of loved ones, their homes and their community. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File)

FILE -A man sets up an umbrella in front of a Lahaina Strong informational sign, Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2023, Kaanapali Beach in Lahaina, Hawaii. An acute housing shortage hitting fire survivors on the Hawaiian island of Maui is squeezing out residents even as they try to overcome the loss of loved ones, their homes and their community. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File)

FILE - Signs asking people to respect locals and that “Lahaina is not for sale” are seen on the side of the Lahaina Bypass, Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2023, in Lahaina, Hawaii. An acute housing shortage hitting fire survivors on the Hawaiian island of Maui is squeezing out residents even as they try to overcome the loss of loved ones, their homes and their community. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File)

FILE - People walk by a tent with a “Lahaina Strong” flag, Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2023, at Whalers Village on Kaanapali Beach in Lahaina, Hawaii, as a group of wildfire survivors camps on the resort beach to protest and raise awareness for better long-term housing options for those displaced. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File)

FILE - Hawaii Gov. Josh Green, center, points to damage as he speaks with Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell during a tour of wildfire damage, Saturday, Aug. 12, 2023, in Lahaina, Hawaii. An acute housing shortage hitting fire survivors on the Hawaiian island of Maui is squeezing out residents even as they try to overcome the loss of loved ones, their homes and their community. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)

FILE - The Rev. Ai Hironaka, resident minister of the Lahaina Hongwanji Mission, walks in the parking lot as he visits his temple and residence destroyed by wildfire, Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023, in Lahaina, Hawaii. An acute housing shortage hitting fire survivors on the Hawaiian island of Maui is squeezing out residents even as they try to overcome the loss of loved ones, their homes and their community. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File)

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HONOLULU (AP) — Amy Chadwick spent years scrimping and saving as a single mother of two to buy a house in the town of Lahaina on the Hawaiian island of Maui. But after a devastating fire leveled Lahaina in August and reduced Chadwick’s home to white dust, the cheapest rental she and her now-husband could find for their family and dogs cost $10,000 a month.

Chadwick, a fine-dining server, moved to Florida where she could stretch her homeowners insurance dollars. She’s worried Maui’s exorbitant rental prices, driven in part by vacation rentals that hog a limited housing supply, will hollow out her tight-knit town.

Most people in Lahaina work for hotels, restaurants and tour companies and can’t afford $5,000 to $10,000 a month in rent, she said.

“You’re pushing out an entire community of service industry people. So no one’s going to be able to support the tourism that you’re putting ahead of your community,” Chadwick said by phone from her new home in Satellite Beach on Florida’s Space Coast. “Nothing good is going to come of it unless they take a serious stance, putting their foot down and really regulating these short-term rentals.”

The Aug. 8 wildfire killed 101 people and destroyed housing for 6,200 families, amplifying Maui’s already acute housing shortage and laying bare the enormous presence of vacation rentals in Lahaina. It reminded lawmakers that short-term rentals are an issue across Hawaii, prompting them to consider bills that would give counties the authority to phase them out.

Gov. Josh Green got so frustrated he blurted out an expletive during a recent news conference.

“This fire uncovered a clear truth, which is we have too many short-term rentals owned by too many individuals on the mainland and it is b———t,” Green said. “And our people deserve housing, here.”

Burned cars and propane tanks with markings on them sit outside a house destroyed by wildfire, Friday, Dec. 8, 2023, in Lahaina, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File)

Vacation rentals are a popular alternative to hotels for those seeking kitchens, lower costs and opportunities to sample everyday island life. Supporters say they boost tourism, the state’s biggest employer. Critics revile them for inflating housing costs, upending neighborhoods and contributing to the forces pushing locals and Native Hawaiians to leave Hawaii for less expensive states.

This migration has become a major concern in Lahaina. The Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement, a nonprofit, estimates at least 1,500 households — or a quarter of those who lost their homes — have left since the August wildfire.

This image provided by Amy Chadwick shows her neighborhood after a wildfire destroyed her home in Lahaina, on the Hawaiian island of Maui. (Amy Chadwick via AP)

The blaze burned single family homes and apartments in and around downtown, which is the core of Lahaina’s residential housing. An analysis by the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization found a relatively low 7.5% of units there were vacation rentals as of February 2023.

Lahaina neighborhoods spared by the fire have a much higher ratio of vacation rentals: About half the housing in Napili, about 7 miles (11 kilometers) north of the burn zone, is short-term rentals.

Napili is where Chadwick thought she found a place to buy when she first went house hunting in 2016. But a Canadian woman secured it with a cash offer and turned it into a vacation rental.

Also outside the burn zone are dozens of short-term rental condominium buildings erected decades ago on land zoned for apartments.

In 1992, Maui County explicitly allowed owners in these buildings to rent units for less than 180 days at a time even without short-term rental permits. Since November, activists have occupied the beach in front of Lahaina’s biggest hotels to push the mayor or governor to use their emergency powers to revoke this exemption.

Money is a powerful incentive for owners to rent to travelers: a 2016 report prepared for the state found a Honolulu vacation rental generates 3.5 times the revenue of a long-term rental.

People walk by a tent with a “Lahaina Strong” flag, Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2023, at Whalers Village on Kaanapali Beach in Lahaina, Hawaii, as a group of wildfire survivors camps on the resort beach to protest and raise awareness for better long-term housing options for those displaced. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File)

State Rep. Luke Evslin, the Housing Committee chair, said Maui and Kauai counties have suffered net losses of residential housing in recent years thanks to a paucity of new construction and the conversion of so many homes to short-term rentals.

“Every alarm bell we have should be ringing when we’re literally going backwards in our goal to provide more housing in Hawaii,” he said.

In his own Kauai district, Evslin sees people leaving, becoming homeless or working three jobs to stay afloat.

The Democrat was one of 47 House members who co-sponsored one version of legislation that would allow short-term rentals to be phased out. One objective is to give counties more power after a U.S. judge ruled in 2022 that Honolulu violated state law when it attempted to prohibit rentals for less than 90 days. Evslin said that decision left Hawaii’s counties with limited tools, such as property taxes, to control vacation rentals.

Lawmakers also considered trying to boost Hawaii’s housing supply by forcing counties to allow more houses to be built on individual lots. But they watered down the measure after local officials said they were already exploring the idea.

Short-term rental owners said a phase-out would violate their property rights and take their property without compensation, potentially pushing them into foreclosure. Some predicted legal challenges.

Alicia Humiston, president of the Rentals by Owner Awareness Association, said some areas in West Maui were designed for travelers and therefore lack schools and other infrastructure families need.

“This area in West Maui that is sort of like this resort apartment zone — that’s all north of Lahaina — it was never built to be local living,” Humiston said.

One housing advocate argues that just because a community allowed vacation rentals decades ago doesn’t mean it still needs to now.

“We are not living in the 1990s or in the 1970s,” said Sterling Higa, executive director of Housing Hawaii’s Future. Counties “should have the authority to look at existing laws and reform them as necessary to provide for the public good.”

Courtney Lazo, a real estate agent who is part of Lahaina Strong, the group occupying Kaanapali Beach, said tourists can stay in her hometown now but many locals can’t.

“How do you expect a community to recover and heal and move forward when the people who make Lahaina, Lahaina, aren’t even there anymore?” she said at a recent news conference as her voice quivered. “They’re moving away.”

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The Evolving Danger of the New Bird Flu

An unusual outbreak of the disease has spread to dairy herds in multiple u.s. states..

This transcript was created using speech recognition software. While it has been reviewed by human transcribers, it may contain errors. Please review the episode audio before quoting from this transcript and email [email protected] with any questions.

From “The New York Times,” I’m Sabrina Tavernise, and this is “The Daily.”

[MUSIC PLAYING]

The outbreak of bird flu that is tearing through the nation’s poultry farms is the worst in US history. But scientists say it’s now starting to spread into places and species it’s never been before.

Today, my colleague, Emily Anthes, explains.

It’s Monday, April 22.

Emily, welcome back to the show.

Thanks for having me. Happy to be here.

So, Emily, we’ve been talking here on “The Daily” about prices of things and how they’ve gotten so high, mostly in the context of inflation episodes. And one of the items that keeps coming up is eggs. Egg prices were through the roof last year, and we learned it was related to this. Avian flu has been surging in the United States. You’ve been covering this. Tell us what’s happening.

Yes, so I have been covering this virus for the last few years. And the bird flu is absolutely tearing through poultry flocks, and that is affecting egg prices. That’s a concern for everyone, for me and for my family. But when it comes to scientists, egg prices are pretty low on their list of concerns. Because they see this bird flu virus behaving differently than previous versions have. And they’re getting nervous, in particular, about the fact that this virus is reaching places and species where it’s never been before.

OK, so bird flu, though, isn’t new. I mean I remember hearing about cases in Asia in the ‘90s. Remind us how it began.

Bird flu refers to a bunch of different viruses that are adapted to spread best in birds. Wild water birds, in particular, are known for carrying these viruses. And flu viruses are famous for also being shapeshifters. So they’re constantly swapping genes around and evolving into new strains. And as you mentioned back in the ‘90s, a new version of bird flu, a virus known as H5N1, emerged in Asia. And it has been spreading on and off around the world since then, causing periodic outbreaks.

And how are these outbreaks caused?

So wild birds are the reservoir for the virus, which means they carry it in their bodies with them around the world as they fly and travel and migrate. And most of the time, these wild birds, like ducks and geese, don’t even get very sick from this virus. But they shed it. So as they’re traveling over a poultry farm maybe, if they happen to go to the bathroom in a pond that the chickens on the farm are using or eat some of the feed that chickens on the farm are eating, they can leave the virus behind.

And the virus can get into chickens. In some cases, it causes mild illness. It’s what’s known as low pathogenic avian influenza. But sometimes the virus mutates and evolves, and it can become extremely contagious and extremely fatal in poultry.

OK, so the virus comes through wild birds, but gets into farms like this, as you’re describing. How have farms traditionally handled outbreaks, when they do happen?

Well, because this threat isn’t new, there is a pretty well-established playbook for containing outbreaks. It’s sometimes known as stamping out. And brutally, what it means is killing the birds. So the virus is so deadly in this highly pathogenic form that it’s sort of destined to kill all the birds on a farm anyway once it gets in. So the response has traditionally been to proactively depopulate or cull all the birds, so it doesn’t have a chance to spread.

So that’s pretty costly for farmers.

It is. Although the US has a program where it will reimburse farmers for their losses. And the way these reimbursements work is they will reimburse farmers only for the birds that are proactively culled, and not for those who die naturally from the virus. And the thinking behind that is it’s a way to incentivize farmers to report outbreaks early.

So, OK, lots of chickens are killed in a way to manage these outbreaks. So we know how to deal with them. But what about now? Tell me about this new strain.

So this new version of the virus, it emerged in 2020.

After the deadly outbreak of the novel coronavirus, authorities have now confirmed an outbreak of the H5N1 strain of influenza, a kind of bird flu.

And pretty quickly it became clear that a couple things set it apart.

A bald eagle found dead at Carvins Cove has tested positive for the highly contagious bird flu.

This virus, for whatever reason, seemed very good at infecting all sorts of wild birds that we don’t normally associate with bird flu.

[BIRD CRYING]

He was kind of stepping, and then falling over, and using its wing to right itself.

Things like eagles and condors and pelicans.

We just lost a parliament of owls in Minneapolis.

Yeah, a couple of high profile nests.

And also in the past, wild birds have not traditionally gotten very sick from this virus. And this version of the virus not only spread widely through the wild bird population, but it proved to be devastating.

The washing up along the East Coast of the country from Scotland down to Suffolk.

We were hearing about mass die-offs of seabirds in Europe by the hundreds and the thousands.

And the bodies of the dead dot the island wherever you look.

Wow. OK. So then as we know, this strain, like previous ones, makes its way from wild animals to farmed animals, namely to chickens. But it’s even more deadly.

Absolutely. And in fact, it has already caused the worst bird flu outbreak in US history. So more than 90 million birds in the US have died as a result of this virus.

90 million birds.

Yes, and I should be clear that represents two things. So some of those birds are birds who naturally got infected and died from the virus. But the vast majority of them are birds that were proactively culled. What it adds up to is, is 90 million farmed birds in the US have died since this virus emerged. And it’s not just a chicken problem. Another thing that has been weird about this virus is it has jumped into other kinds of farms. It is the first time we’ve seen a bird flu virus jump into US livestock.

And it’s now been reported on a number of dairy farms across eight US states. And that’s just something that’s totally unprecedented.

So it’s showing up at Dairy farms now. You’re saying that bird flu has now spread to cows. How did that happen?

So we don’t know exactly how cows were first infected, but most scientists’ best guess is that maybe an infected wild bird that was migrating shed the virus into some cattle feed or a pasture or a pond, and cattle picked it up. The good news is they don’t seem to get nearly as sick as chickens do. They are generally making full recoveries on their own in a couple of weeks.

OK, so no mass culling of cows?

No, that doesn’t seem to be necessary at this point. But the bad news is that it’s starting to look like we’re seeing this virus spread from cow to cow. We don’t know exactly how that’s happening yet. But anytime you see cow-to-cow or mammal-to-mammal transmission, that’s a big concern.

And why is that exactly?

Well, there are a bunch of reasons. First, it could allow the outbreak to get much bigger, much faster, which might increase the risk to the food supply. And we might also expect it to increase the risk to farm workers, people who might be in contact with these sick cows.

Right now, the likelihood that a farmer who gets this virus passes it on is pretty low. But any time you see mammal-to-mammal transmission, it increases the chance that the virus will adapt and possibly, maybe one day get good at spreading between humans. To be clear, that’s not something that there’s any evidence happening in cows right now. But the fact that there’s any cow-to-cow transmission happening at all is enough to have scientists a bit concerned.

And then if we think more expansively beyond what’s happening on farms, there’s another big danger lurking out there. And that’s what happens when this virus gets into wild animals, vast populations that we can’t control.

We’ll be right back.

So, Emily, you said that another threat was the threat of flu in wild animal populations. Clearly, of course, it’s already in wild birds. Where else has it gone?

Well, the reason it’s become such a threat is because of how widespread it’s become in wild birds. So they keep reintroducing it to wild animal populations pretty much anywhere they go. So we’ve seen the virus repeatedly pop up in all sorts of animals that you might figure would eat a wild bird, so foxes, bobcats, bears. We actually saw it in a polar bear, raccoons. So a lot of carnivores and scavengers.

The thinking is that these animals might stumble across a sick or dead bird, eat it, and contract the virus that way. But we’re also seeing it show up in some more surprising places, too. We’ve seen the virus in a bottle-nosed dolphin, of all places.

And most devastatingly, we’ve seen enormous outbreaks in other sorts of marine mammals, especially sea lions and seals.

So elephant seals, in particular in South America, were just devastated by this virus last fall. My colleague Apoorva Mandavilli and I were talking to some scientists in South America who described to us what they called a scene from hell, of walking out onto a beach in Argentina that is normally crowded with chaotic, living, breathing, breeding, elephant seals — and the beach just being covered by carcass, after carcass, after carcass.

Mostly carcasses of young newborn pups. The virus seemed to have a mortality rate of 95 percent in these elephant seal pups, and they estimated that it might have killed more than 17,000 of the pups that were born last year. So almost the entire new generation of this colony. These are scientists that have studied these seals for decades. And they said they’ve never seen anything like it before.

And why is it so far reaching, Emily? I mean, what explains these mass die-offs?

There are probably a few explanations. One is just how much virus is out there in the environment being shed by wild birds into water and onto beaches. These are also places that viruses like this haven’t been before. So it’s reaching elephant seals and sea lions in South America that have no prior immunity.

There’s also the fact that these particular species, these sea lions and seals, tend to breed in these huge colonies all crowded together on beaches. And so what that means is if a virus makes its way into the colony, it’s very conducive conditions for it to spread. And scientists think that that’s actually what’s happening now. That it’s not just that all these seals are picking up the virus from individual birds, but that they’re actually passing it to each other.

So basically, this virus is spreading to places it’s never been before, kind of virgin snow territory, where animals just don’t have the immunity against it. And once it gets into a population packed on a beach, say, of elephant seals, it’s just like a knife through butter.

Absolutely. And an even more extreme example of that is what we’re starting to see happen in Antarctica, where there’s never been a bird flu outbreak before until last fall, for the first time, this virus reached the Antarctic mainland. And we are now seeing the virus move through colonies of not only seabirds and seals, but penguin colonies, which have not been exposed to these viruses before.

And it’s too soon to say what the toll will be. But penguins also, of course, are known for breeding in these large colonies.

Probably. don’t have many immune defenses against this virus, and of course, are facing all these other environmental threats. And so there’s a lot of fear that you add on the stress of a bird flu virus, and it could just be a tipping point for penguins.

Emily, at this point, I’m kind of wondering why more people aren’t talking about this. I mean, I didn’t know any of this before having this conversation with you, and it feels pretty worrying.

Well, a lot of experts and scientists are talking about this with rising alarm and in terms that are quite stark. They’re talking about the virus spreading through wild animal populations so quickly and so ferociously that they’re calling it an ecological disaster.

But that’s a disaster that sometimes seems distant from us, both geographically, we’re talking about things that are happening maybe at the tip of Argentina or in Antarctica. And also from our concerns of our everyday lives, what’s happening in Penguins might not seem like it has a lot to do with the price of a carton of eggs at the grocery store. But I think that we should be paying a lot of attention to how this virus is moving through animal populations, how quickly it’s moving through animal populations, and the opportunities that it is giving the virus to evolve into something that poses a much bigger threat to human health.

So the way it’s spreading in wild animals, even in remote places like Antarctica, that’s important to watch, at least in part because there’s a real danger to people here.

So we know that the virus can infect humans, and that generally it’s not very good at spreading between humans. But the concern all along has been that if this virus has more opportunities to spread between mammals, it will get better at spreading between them. And that seems to be what is happening in seals and sea lions. Scientists are already seeing evidence that the virus is adapting as it passes from marine mammal to marine mammal. And that could turn it into a virus that’s also better at spreading between people.

And if somebody walks out onto a beach and touches a dead sea lion, if their dog starts playing with a sea lion carcass, you could imagine that this virus could make its way out of marine mammals and into the human population. And if it’s this mammalian adapted version of the virus that makes its way out, that could be a bigger threat to human health.

So the sheer number of hosts that this disease has, the more opportunity it has to mutate, and the more chance it has to mutate in a way that would actually be dangerous for people.

Yes, and in particular, the more mammalian hosts. So that gives the virus many more opportunities to become a specialist in mammals instead of a specialist in birds, which is what it is right now.

Right. I like that, a specialist in mammals. So what can we do to contain this virus?

Well, scientists are exploring new options. There’s been a lot of discussion about whether we should start vaccinating chickens in the US. The government, USDA labs, have been testing some poultry vaccines. It’s probably scientifically feasible. There are challenges there, both in terms of logistics — just how would you go about vaccinating billions of chickens every year. There are also trade questions. Traditionally, a lot of countries have not been willing to accept poultry products from countries that vaccinate their poultry.

And there’s concern about whether the virus might spread undetected in flocks that are vaccinated. So as we saw with COVID, the vaccine can sometimes stop you from getting sick, but it doesn’t necessarily stop infection. And so countries are worried they might unknowingly import products that are harboring the virus.

And what about among wild animals? I mean, how do you even begin to get your head around that?

Yeah, I mean, thinking about vaccinating wild animals maybe makes vaccinating all the chickens in the US look easy. There has been some discussion of limited vaccination campaigns, but that’s not feasible on a global scale. So unfortunately, the bottom line is there isn’t a good way to stop spread in wild animals. We can try to protect some vulnerable populations, but we’re not going to stop the circulation of this virus.

So, Emily, we started this conversation with a kind of curiosity that “The Daily” had about the price of eggs. And then you explained the bird flu to us. And then somehow we ended up learning about an ecological disaster that’s unfolding all around us, and potentially the source of the next human pandemic. That is pretty scary.

It is scary, and it’s easy to get overwhelmed by it. And I feel like I should take a step back and say none of this is inevitable. None of this is necessarily happening tomorrow. But this is why scientists are concerned and why they think it’s really important to keep a very close eye on what’s happening both on farms and off farms, as this virus spreads through all sorts of animal populations.

One thing that comes up again and again and again in my interviews with people who have been studying bird flu for decades, is how this virus never stops surprising them. And sometimes those are bad surprises, like these elephant seal die-offs, the incursions into dairy cattle. But there are some encouraging signs that have emerged recently. We’re starting to see some early evidence that some of the bird populations that survived early brushes with this virus might be developing some immunity. So that’s something that maybe could help slow the spread of this virus in animal populations.

We just don’t entirely know how this is going to play out. Flu is a very difficult, wily foe. And so that’s one reason scientists are trying to keep such a close, attentive eye on what’s happening.

Emily, thank you.

Thanks for having me.

Here’s what else you should know today.

On this vote, the yeas are 366 and the nays are 58. The bill is passed.

On Saturday, in four back-to-back votes, the House voted resoundingly to approve a long-stalled package of aid to Ukraine, Israel and other American allies, delivering a major victory to President Biden, who made aid to Ukraine one of his top priorities.

On this vote, the yeas are 385, and the no’s are 34 with one answering present. The bill is passed without objection.

The House passed the component parts of the $95 billion package, which included a bill that could result in a nationwide ban of TikTok.

On this vote, the yeas are 311 and the nays are 112. The bill is passed.

Oh, one voting present. I missed it, but thank you.

In a remarkable breach of custom, Democrats stepped in to supply the crucial votes to push the legislation past hard-line Republican opposition and bring it to the floor.

The House will be in order.

The Senate is expected to pass the legislation as early as Tuesday.

Today’s episode was produced by Rikki Novetsky, Nina Feldman, Eric Krupke, and Alex Stern. It was edited by Lisa Chow and Patricia Willens; contains original music by Marion Lozano, Dan Powell, Rowan Niemisto, and Sophia Lanman; and was engineered by Chris Wood. Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly. Special thanks to Andrew Jacobs.

That’s it for “The Daily.” I’m Sabrina Tavernise. See you tomorrow.

• April 24, 2024   •   32:18 Is $60 Billion Enough to Save Ukraine?
• April 23, 2024   •   30:30 A Salacious Conspiracy or Just 34 Pieces of Paper?
• April 22, 2024   •   24:30 The Evolving Danger of the New Bird Flu
• April 19, 2024   •   30:42 The Supreme Court Takes Up Homelessness
• April 18, 2024   •   30:07 The Opening Days of Trump’s First Criminal Trial
• April 17, 2024   •   24:52 Are ‘Forever Chemicals’ a Forever Problem?
• April 16, 2024   •   29:29 A.I.’s Original Sin
• April 15, 2024   •   24:07 Iran’s Unprecedented Attack on Israel
• April 14, 2024   •   46:17 The Sunday Read: ‘What I Saw Working at The National Enquirer During Donald Trump’s Rise’
• April 12, 2024   •   34:23 How One Family Lost $900,000 in a Timeshare Scam
• April 11, 2024   •   28:39 The Staggering Success of Trump’s Trial Delay Tactics
• April 10, 2024   •   22:49 Trump’s Abortion Dilemma

Hosted by Sabrina Tavernise

Produced by Rikki Novetsky ,  Nina Feldman ,  Eric Krupke and Alex Stern

Edited by Lisa Chow and Patricia Willens

Original music by Marion Lozano ,  Dan Powell ,  Rowan Niemisto and Sophia Lanman

Engineered by Chris Wood

Listen and follow The Daily Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music

The outbreak of bird flu currently tearing through the nation’s poultry is the worst in U.S. history. Scientists say it is now spreading beyond farms into places and species it has never been before.

Emily Anthes, a science reporter for The Times, explains.

On today’s episode

Emily Anthes , a science reporter for The New York Times.

Background reading

Scientists have faulted the federal response to bird flu outbreaks on dairy farms .

Here’s what to know about the outbreak.

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We aim to make transcripts available the next workday after an episode’s publication. You can find them at the top of the page.

Special thanks to Andrew Jacobs .

The Daily is made by Rachel Quester, Lynsea Garrison, Clare Toeniskoetter, Paige Cowett, Michael Simon Johnson, Brad Fisher, Chris Wood, Jessica Cheung, Stella Tan, Alexandra Leigh Young, Lisa Chow, Eric Krupke, Marc Georges, Luke Vander Ploeg, M.J. Davis Lin, Dan Powell, Sydney Harper, Mike Benoist, Liz O. Baylen, Asthaa Chaturvedi, Rachelle Bonja, Diana Nguyen, Marion Lozano, Corey Schreppel, Rob Szypko, Elisheba Ittoop, Mooj Zadie, Patricia Willens, Rowan Niemisto, Jody Becker, Rikki Novetsky, John Ketchum, Nina Feldman, Will Reid, Carlos Prieto, Ben Calhoun, Susan Lee, Lexie Diao, Mary Wilson, Alex Stern, Dan Farrell, Sophia Lanman, Shannon Lin, Diane Wong, Devon Taylor, Alyssa Moxley, Summer Thomad, Olivia Natt, Daniel Ramirez and Brendan Klinkenberg.

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