Buteo solitarius

I am thrilled to present my first endemic bird sighting of my trip, the Hawaiian Hawk. Its Hawaiian name is 'Io (pronounced EE-oh) after its shrill call, "kee-oh!". If you look closely you may notice a patch of lime green in its talons--this is the 'Io's lunch, a large male Jackson's Chameleon!

This afternoon I noticed an unusually large and agitated chorus of birds out behind the barn. I went over to investigate and discovered it was this hawk that was making everyone upset. It was perched in a tree being dive-bombed by several species of small birds, though it didn't seem to mind much. Very shortly after I spotted it, it pounced onto a nearby branch with wings spread. It sat there for a time, motionless with wings draped over the branches, and I wondered what the heck it was doing. Then I suddenly noticed the three-horned head of the Jackson's Chameleon writhing around in its feet! I watched mesmorized over the next 25 minutes as the hawk munched on the chameleon, pulling out its insides while the lizard flailed around helplessly. What an incredible sight to behold. Thankfully I was able to snag a few discernible shots of the scene through the many layers of pine needles that obstructed my view.

The Hawaiian Hawk is a fascinating bird which can be found nowhere else on Earth. It is the only hawk species in Hawaii, and in fact resides exclusively on the Big Island (though fossil records indicate it once roamed the entire archipelago). Most commonly it's seen in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and along the Hamakua Coast (where I've been living) but it can be spotted anywhere on the island, and even sometimes makes its way accidentally to Maui, Oahu, and Kauai.

The population is thought to be around 2,000 birds, and while the species has been classified as endangered in previous decades, recent studies indicate numbers are stabilizing and so it has been reclassified as "near threatened." It remains of special concern because it nests in very specific habitat, in large tracts of ohia (pronouced 0h-HEE-ah) tree, a sensitive native species that is subject to degradation by introduced pigs and depletion at the hands of residential and commercial development.

The 'Io is a small hawk (females are larger than males) that comes in two color morphs, a dark phase and a light phase. The one pictured here is a light morph--it has a dark head and a pale chest and belly. Its diet consists of small mammals (all but one of which--the Hawaiian Hoary Bat--are introduced species), small birds, and insects. (In a tragic twist, the endemic Hawaiian Crow, or 'Alala, which is now extinct in the wild but may be reintroduced at some point, is typically a primary food source for the native hawk, and so the prevalence of the 'Io does not bode well for the 'Alala.) Interestingly enough, though I witnessed this one wholeheartedly consume a chameleon, I could find no source whatsoever that included reptiles in the hawk's typical diet. Apparently they are opportunistic hunters.

To witness this hawk with its lunch was such an unexpected treat today. I've seen them soaring over the nearby gulches several times, but never up close like this, let alone engaged in such intriguing behavior. I watched it until it flew off, and felt very thankful for the small window into its life. I've been here six weeks now, and this was my first real encounter with a native bird, and I am so pleased.