Endangered Hawaiian Bird Uses Beak and Body to Dig Out its Dinner
The ʻakiapōlāʻau has no need for a toolbox. The endangered Hawaiian bird taps the wood of trees, hacks into it with the lower half of its unusual beak, then switches to its long, flexible upper bill to probe the hole for insect larvae to eat. New research provides the most comprehensive look yet at this Hawaiian honeycreeper's unique anatomy, showing that when the bird strikes the wood, even its legs get involved in the action.
A close-up view of an 'akiapōlā'au bird showing its distinctive long, curved upper bill, in Pu'u Maka' Ala Natural Area Reserve, in Hawaii, US, September 3, 2022. Bret Nainoa Mossman/Handout via REUTERS 16:26-5 November 2026 AD ـ 25 Jumada Al-Ula 1448 AH T T 16:26-5 November 2026 AD ـ 25 Jumada Al-Ula 1448 AH T T Endangered Hawaiian Bird Uses Beak and Body to Dig Out its Dinner A close-up view of an 'akiapōlā'au bird showing its distinctive long, curved upper bill, in Pu'u Maka' Ala Natural Area Reserve, in Hawaii, US, September 3, 2022.
Bret Nainoa Mossman/Handout via REUTERS 16:26-5 November 2026 AD ـ 25 Jumada Al-Ula 1448 AH T T 16:26-5 November 2026 AD ـ 25 Jumada Al-Ula 1448 AH T T
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