Last updated on June 12th, 2022 at 01:48 am
Hawaii is a rich, biodiverse state that hosts a wide range of bird species, including more than two dozen that are unique to the Hawaiian islands.
However, some islands are better for watching birds than others, with the best spots combining unique natural resources with publicly accessible parks or reserves.
Know where to look for these birding hotspots, and you’ll have once-in-a-lifetime finds to add to your life list.
The best Hawaiian islands for bird watching are the Big Island, Maui, Oahu, and Kauai. Each of these islands has rich bird populations and significant birding areas, including well-built parks, trails, and refuges, that allow the public to visit and observe a wide range of endemic species.
Big Island
Hawaii’s Big Island is home to four major hotspots for bird watching: Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Pu’u La’au, Hakalau National Wildlife Refuge, and Aimakapa Road.
If you’re planning a birding trip to the Big Island, consider making arrangements to visit during the Hawaii Festival of Birds.
This festival typically takes place in October and is a great place for new and experienced birders alike.
The Hawaii Festival of Birds typically includes plenty of educational opportunities, including birding excursions, research presentations, and a film festival.
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is a 500-sq mi (1294.99 sq km) hub for biodiversity. There are many endangered species that live in this park, including the following:
- Hawaii Elepaio
- Apapane
- Akiapolaau
- Iiwi
- Hawaii Akepa
- Hawaii Creeper
To visit these birds, you need to make plans in advance.
You’ll also see common birds that are unique to Hawaii in this park, like the Hawaiian Goose.
There’s a 1.2-mi (1.93 km) hike at Kipuka Puaulu that’s great for birding, especially if you’re interested in seeing this goose.
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park offers great options for driving tours, including the Chain of Craters Road and the Rim Drive.
If you keep a good lookout along these drives, it’s possible to see any of the following birds:
- Hawaiian Goose
- White-tailed Tropicbird
- Pacific Golden-Plover
- Black Noddy
Pu’u La’au
Pu’u La’au is a mountainous, forested region of Hawaii that’s home to the Hawaiian Owl and forest birds like the Amakihi, the Elepaio, and the Akiapola’au.
To access Pu’u La’au, find Saddle Road a few miles west of Mauna Kea State Park and follow the dirt road near the Hunter Check-In Station northward.
Hakalau National Wildlife Refuge
The Hakalau National Wildlife Refuge is open for birding, hiking, and pig-hunting, but you must get permission to enter from the Refuge Manager prior to your arrival.
The Hakalau National Wildlife Refuge is home to the following species:
- Hawaii Creeper
- Hawaii Akepa
- Apapane
- Hawaii Elepaio
- Iiwi
- Akiapolaau
Aimakapa Fishpond and Wetlands
The Aimakapa Fishpond is a 600-year-old pond in Kalaoa, Hawaii, home to countless native and migratory birds.
The pond is separated from the ocean by a small ridge of sand dunes.
Here you’ll see water birds and seabirds like the Pacific Golden-Plover, the Sanderling, and the Wandering Tattler.
Maui
Maui is one of the best places in Hawaii to go birding. It includes Haleakala National Park, Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge, and the Koolau Forest Reserve.
Haleakala National Park
Haleakala National Park offers rainforest, freshwater pools, waterfalls, and a rocky, volcanic landscape.
Here are the bird species that live in this park:
- Hawaiian Goose
- Maui Alauahio
- Apapane
- Iiwi
- Hawaii Amakihi
- White-tailed Tropicbird
- Great Frigatebird
- Black Noddy
Many of these birds reside in Hosmer Grove, a tree farm established in the early 1900s.
Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge
The Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge was a catfish farm until the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) bought it.
The FWS transformed the land into a habitat for endangered birds like the Hawaiian Coot and the Hawaiian Black-necked Stilt.
Here are the shorebirds that use the refuge:
- Black-crowned Night-Heron
- Sanderling
- Pacific Golden-Plover
- Ruddy Turnstone
- Wandering Tattler
Koolau Forest Reserve
The Koolau Forest Reserve is a reserve right along the edge of a mountain range, where it rains 200 to 300 in (508 to 762 cm) of water a year.
Because of this rain, the Koolau Forest Reserve is home to numerous waterfalls.
The bird species found at the Koolau Forest Reserve includes:
- Red-billed Leiothrix
- Creeper
- Amakihi
- Japanese White-Eye
- Akepa
- Maui Parrotbill
- Apapane
- Crested Honeycreeper
- Iiwi
Oahu
Oahu is one of Hawaii’s top wetland birding locations, home to the James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge.
James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge
The James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge is a wetland area in Oahu established as a refuge for endangered birds in 1976.
Originally, the refuge was exclusively for waterbirds.
But by 2005 it had developed to the point of supporting not only waterbirds but also migratory shorebirds, waterfowl, seabirds, and several endangered species of plant, seal, and turtle.
This refuge is now an important piece in keeping several species alive.
Kauai
Kauai is mostly rainforest, with green cliffs and a 10-mi (16.09-km) wide canyon.
Here you can find sea and forest birds, including one unique to the island: the Anianiau.
The Anianiau live only on this island and nowhere else in the world.
Koke’e State Park
Koke’e State Park is a reserve on the island of Kauai known for its spectacular birds.
Here you may find the following:
- Hawaiian Duck
- Iiwi
- Apapane
- Kauai Amakihi
- Hawaiian Goose
- Kauai Elepaio
- Akekee
- Puaiohi
- Akikiki
When you’re within Koke’s State Park, the best place to see these birds is along the Alakai Swamp Trail, which spans a distance of 3.5 mi (5.63 km).
Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge
Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge is a great place for viewing seabirds in large nesting colonies.
Here are the birds you can find year-round:
- Red-footed Boob
- Brown Booby
- Masked Booby
- Bristle-thighed Curlew
- Hawaiian Goose
- Cackling Goose
- Laysan Albatross
- Black-footed Albatross
- Red-tailed Tropicbird
- Red-billed Tropicbird
- Pacific Golden-Plover
- Ruddy Turnstone
- Bulwer’s Petrel
This park is also home to humpback whales, which are possible to spot if you visit between January and March.