[Birdtalk] A Hawaii trip with a little birding

[STEPHEN T CARLILE]

I was able to take a vacation to Hawaii this past week to the island of Oahu with my wife and another couple.  It was not a birding trip, but I was able to take adavantage of a new place with lots of different birds.  Though most of our time was on the North Shore, we were all over the island.  Unfortunately I didn't have the time to pursue Hawaii's endemic forest birds.  Another time.  In addition to a number of new life birds there were several things that were pretty interesting.

  a.. Pacific Golden Plovers were everywhere.  The third bird I saw after arriving at the airport was a P.G. Plover in full breeding plumage wandering around the parking lot of the car rental agency.  No matter where  you were on the island every piece of grass seemed to have a plover one it.  Hawaii is there winter playground.  I would guess I saw close to a thousand birds during the week. 
  b.. There are some different birds "combinations" to be seen.  Pacific Golden Plovers, Zebra Doves, Jave Sparrows, Red-crested Cardinals, Common Mynas and Chestnut Mannkins feeding together on the same patch of grass.
  c.. Common Mynas seem to be the "starlings" of Hawaii and Zebra Doves the "mice".
  d.. It pays to take your binoculars everywhere; Red-footed Boobies and Brown Noddies while enjoying the beach and sun at Waikiki.
I saw a total of 35 species, with 23 lifers (in italics).

  

Native Endemic - 3

Hawaiian Coot

Common Moorhen (G. c. sandvicensis subspecies)

Hawaiian Duck

 

Native Indigenous - 12

Wedge-tailed Shearwater

Red-tailed Tropic Bird

Red-footed Bobby

Brown Bobby

Sooty Tern

Brown Noddy

Fairy Tern

Mallard

Black-crowned Night Heron

Ruddy Turnstone

Wandering Tattler

Pacific Golden Plover

 

Introduced - 20

Cattle Egret

Spotted Dove

Rock Dove

Zebra Dove

Red Jungle Fowl (Waimea Falls)

Peafowl

Red-vented Bulbul

Red-whiskered Bulbul

Japanese White-eye

Red-billed Leiothrix

White-rumped Shama

House Finch

Yellow-fronted Canary

Red-crested Cardinal

Northern Cardinal

Common Myna

House Sparrow

Java Sparrow

Common Waxbill

Chestnut Mannikan



Thanks,



Stephen
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