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Also known as the Hawaiian Honeycreeper.
From the series of thirty-three prints, Living Endemic Birds of Hawaii, by Marian Berger.
From fws.gov/pacific islands/fauna: "The ‘Akiapola‘au only lives in high elevation ‘ohi‘a-koa forests of the Big Island. This forest bird creeps along branches and uses its unique bill to pick out insect larvae. When searching for food, it makes a tapping noise that can be mistaken for a woodpecker. These birds travel in family groups and like to fly with other flocks of forest birds. The ‘Akiapola‘au was listed as an endangered species in 1967 under the Federal Endangered Species Act, and remains endangered.
The 'akiapola 'au is a type of Hawaiian honeycreeper that has evolved to fill the niche occupied in other parts of the world by woodpeckers. It creeps along branches and tree trunks, using its sharply curving upper mandible to dig out insect larvae. It occasionally uses its bill to drill holes into trees to drink the sap that emerges."
Copyright Marian Berger. All rights reserved; images are protected under US copyright laws and may not be copied or reproduced in any manner.