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To the Beauty of Birds

The Palila Loxioides bailleui, is a critically endangered finch-billed species of Hawaiian honeycreeper. It has a golden-yellow head and breast, with a light belly, gray back, and greenish wings and tail. The first specimen of the Palila was collected at the Greenwell Ranch on the Big Island by Théodore Ballieu (1828–1885), who was French consul in Hawai‘i from 1869–1878.
The bird's song is inconspicuous, containing whistling, warbling and trilling notes. The call is characteristic, however, being a clear, bell-like whistle, chee-clee-o or te-cleet.
The Hawaiian honeycreepers (Drepanididae) are sometimes included in the true finch family. Currently, the Palila has again been moved to genus Loxiodes.
Currently, the Palila can be found only on the upper slopes of Mauna Kea on the island of Hawaii. Palila live from about 6,500 to 9,500 feet (2,000 to 2,900 m).

I was unable to catch a photo of a Palila during my day with Jack Jefferys in Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge. However, one of my co-birders that day, John Drummond (Partnership for International Birding) had obtained some great photos at a site on another part of Mauna Kea. The next day Sally and I went to that site at mile 43.5 on the old Saddle Road on the Kilohana Hunter Checking Station road. Unfortunately, while we saw a like of birds, a Palila was not one of them. John provided the photos shown here.

Palila

Palila 6140

Palila 6324

Pilila 6143