Day 29 of Avian August 2025, Birds of Hawaii, hosted by @cookiedoves: Palila (Loxioides bailleui)
The palila is a critically endangered Hawaiian honeycreeper found only on the upper slopes of Mauna Kea on the Big Island of Hawaii. Its survival is closely linked to the presence of māmane (Sophora chrysophylla). The palila’s main food source is the plant’s immature green seeds, though it also eats flowers, buds, young leaves, and nearby insects. Most animals avoid the māmane, as its seeds contain toxins that cause severe poisoning and can be lethal to livestock. The palila is one of the very few birds in the world known to rely on toxic seeds as a primary food source. Because the two species evolved together, the bird’s digestive system and liver metabolism are able to detoxify or tolerate the harmful alkaloids.
Since humans arrived in Hawaii, 95 of the 142 endemic bird species have gone extinct. The key to preventing the palila from joining them is protecting the māmane and the forest where the two species coevolved.
