Rainforest & Dry Forest Birding Adventure

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Duration: 11h
Location: Ka'ohe Game Management Area, Ka'ohe Game Management Area, Hawaii United States | Ka'ohe Game Management Area, United States


Category: Adventures

Highlights:
Birdwatching & breakfast along the scenic Saddle Road
Choice of 2 scenic mountainside small-group tours
Access to forest reserves & endangered ecosystems
Chance to see the short-eared owl and other forest birds
Hiking under tree canopies or over old lava flows

Inclusions:
Guided birdwatching adventure
Continental breakfast
Deli-style lunch and refreshments
Hot chocolate or coffee
Use of walking sticks, binoculars, day pack, and rain ponchos

Description:

A pair of vastly different environments offer a look at the incredible variety of birds living on the Big Island of Hawaii. Look for 'elepaios and the endangered palila on the west side of Mauna Kea or go in search of Hawaiian thrushes and akiapolaau in the cloud forest along the Puu Oo Trail.

Get started with a ride north along the coastline, and keep an eye out for open-country birds as you make your way to the old Mamalahoa Highway. From there, set off along the Saddle Road and watch for game birds as well as the pueo, or short-eared owl. After you stop for breakfast, it's time to head into the forest for one of 2 spectacular birding adventures.

Dry Forest Birding:
Just off Saddle Road, you can ride into the Kaohe Game Management Area, 4-wheel your way into Puu Laau for stunning views of the leeward coast below, and step into the Mauna Kea Forest Preserve for some serious bird watching in native Hawaiian dry forest. Keep watch for the critically threatened palila, the Hawaii amakihi, and the local species of the Hawaii elepaio with distinctive white feathering on its head.

Rainforest Birding:
Make your way to the Puu Oo Trail, a historic cattle drive route, on Mauna Loa's northeastern flank. An environment of windy clouds that often cloak the windward side of the island, this route takes you over century-old lava flows and into the Hawaiian rainforest.

Your vehicle parks at the trailhead, where you can set off toward some of the most productive birding areas in the state. Along the way, you can hope to spot iiwi, apapane, amakihi, omao, elepaio, and the elusive akiapolaau with its unique multipurpose beak.