Deep Diving Into Wildlife

Manu o Kū means "Bird of Kū" in Hawaiian (Kū, the god of war in Hawaiian mythology) Look familiar? You've probably seen these birds at Kapiʻolani Community College. These graceful seabirds are known as the Manu-o-Kū ( Gygis alba ) on Oahu. Outside of the Hawaiian Islands they are commonly known as White Tern, Fairy Tern, Angel Tern or White Noddy. These native Hawaiian seabirds can be found throughout tropical and subtropical regions of the Pacific, Southern Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Most of the Hawaiian population of Man o kū  are found mainly on the island of Oahu. On Oahu, you don't have to hike to see these birds; they can easily be spotted in urban and suburban areas of Honolulu, from Niu Valley to Sand Island. Manu o Kū breed during all months of the year. Reaching 5 years of age, they will begin to find a mate. After a successful breeding, one egg is laid and it takes about 35 days to hatch. What's quite unique about these birds are that they...

                                      ʻAmakihi perched in a Māmane tree Hawaii is home to over 25,000 unique species. Geologically being in such a remote and isolated location, thanks to volcanic hot spots in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, there is an abundance of biological diversity. These endemic species, only found in Hawaii, either came by flying, floating, or being blown thousands of kilometers to the Hawaiian archipelago. One of the most unique group of species is the endemic Hawaiian honeycreepers. They have a remarkable physical diversity, in result to filling in different ecological niches, within the Hawaiian Islands. Scientist found an ancestor of the rosefinches, a group of Eurasian bird species to be the closest relative of the Hawaiian honeycreepers. The ancestors of the Hawaiian honeycreepers must have immigrated to the Hawaiian Islands around 7.2 million and 5.8 mi...