Science & Tech · Science & Environment · 6 hrs ago
Hawaiian bird uses two-part beak to find insects in wood
The Akiapōlāʻau is a small yellow bird found on Hawaii, the largest island in the Hawaiian archipelago.
Its beak has two very different parts: a long, flexible upper beak reaches into cracks and holes in branches to find insect larvae.
The short, strong lower beak makes holes in wood, and the bird uses its whole body to hammer.
The two parts work as separate tools, helping the bird fill a role similar to that of a woodpecker, which never reached the Hawaiian Islands.
Researchers say the bird evolved amid competition as animal life diversified on the islands.
Fewer than 2,000 are thought to live in the wild, all on the northeast slope of a single mountain on Hawaii.
The species is threatened with extinction, highlighting how Hawaii’s unique wildlife is vulnerable to isolation.
The Akiapōlāʻau, a small yellow bird native to Hawaii, uses its two-part beak to make holes in wood and retrieve insects.
Its long, slender upper bill probes cracks and pulls out larvae and caterpillars, while its short, strong lower bill makes holes.
Researchers report that the bird uses its whole body to hammer, unlike woodpeckers, which mainly use their neck muscles.
The species is endangered, with fewer than 2,000 birds estimated to remain in the wild.
All are found on the northeastern slope of a single mountain on Hawaii island.
- Who
- The Akiapōlāʻau, a bird native to Hawaii.
- What
- Researchers describe how its two-part beak helps it make holes in wood and find insects.
- When
- The report was published on November 9, 2026.
- Where
- The bird lives on Hawaii island, in the Hawaiian archipelago.
- Why
- Its distinct beak parts perform different tasks, helping it find insect prey in wood.
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- Scientific name
- Hemignathus wilsoni
- Estimated wild population
- Fewer than 2,000
- Range
- Northeastern slope of a single mountain on Hawaii island
- Upper bill
- Long, slender and flexible; probes for larvae and caterpillars
- Lower bill
- Short and strong; makes holes in wood
1 source
What people are saying
The Aki differs from every other bird that has ever evolved, and not only in Hawaii — it has features found in no other bird.
Basically, it is like splitting a tree trunk with an axe: you use your whole body.
For a bird like the Akiapōlāʻau to evolve, there must have been intense competition in the ecosystem.