Discover The Island Of Kauai,
Hawaii
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. |
