Kauai Bird Watching

Red-footed boobies, brown boobies, red-tailed tropicbirds, wedge-tailed shearwaters, and great frigatebirds – these are only some of the rare species of birds you will get to see on Kauai.

Kauai’s active volcanic days are long gone. What is left now is an island of emerald green lushness, highlighted to the north with sheer scenic canyons and coastal cliffs. In the lush Kauai rainforest, honeycreeper specialties as Anianiau, Akekee, and the Kauai Amakihi abound, while on the flooded taro fileds can be found Hawaii’s endangered wetland birds, including the scarce Koloa (or the Hawaiian Duck).

The best time to go boobies-watching in Kauai is in March, the month when seabird diversity is at its peak. Many seabirds nest in these distant Pacific Islands. At Kilauea Point can be found some of the most spectacular of all seabirds, including the nesting Laysan Albatross. Don’t be surprised if some of the adults glide by you at eye-level and see huge nestlings sitting in the shade of ironwood trees.

Perhaps the most elegant of seabirds in the world, the Red-tailed Tropicbirds are also a regular sight on the island. See fantastic show of aerial courtship between these glistening red-tailed species or get a glimpse of the rare White-tailed Tropicbirds winging by to their cliff ledge nests.

If you move on to the Kona Coast not far away, you will have an excellent chance of seeing the endemic Hawaiian Hawk as you traverse the forested slopes of the extinct giant shield volcano, Mauna Kea. Here, you will also find a good share of the more widespread indigenous Hawaiian bird species, including the Amakihi, Apapane, Elepaio, the comical scarlet liwi, and Hawaiia’s beautiful and unique goose, the Nene.

But if you don’t like to trek too far away from convenient accommodations, you can always tap the Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge which offers a fantastic array of surprises, including a little history, a little nature, and a grand view of the pacific all for a $2.00 entrance fee. To top it all off, the Wildlife Refuge is one of the best places to catch sight of humpback whales as they migrate from Alaska.

HINT: Don’t forget to take a pair of binoculars to spy on more boobies. You’ll be surprised at how fascinating and engrossing the lives of these cliff-dwelling birds can be. If you are there between December and April, you might even spot a humpback.

Enjoy a Kauai, HI Vacation

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