Fun Elepaio Facts For Kids

A group of species consisting of Kauai ʻelepaio (Chasiempis sclateri), Oahu ʻelepaio (Chasiempis ibidis), and Hawaii ʻelepaio (Chasiempis sandwichensis) is known as ʻelepaio. This species belongs to the family of Monarchidae or monarch flycatcher.

These birds are endemic to the Hawaiian Island of the United States and primarily dwell in a wide range of forests such as the rainforest and tropical moist broadleaf forest. The species are distributed to three islands Kauai, Oahu, and Hawaii respectively. ʻElepaio birds are insectivores and majorly prey on small insects and spiders. The average weight and length of the species are 0.026-0.039 lb (12-18 g) and 4.7-5.5 in (12-14 cm) respectively.

Kauai ʻelepaio birds have black-colored heads and back while the underparts are rusty-red. Both Oahu elapaio and Hawaii ʻelepaio have rust-colored heads. The bird also has a long tail.

Two of the species, the Kauai ʻelepaio, and Hawaii ʻelepaio, are declared Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature while the organization has listed the Oahu ʻelepaio species as Endangered.

Keep reading to learn more interesting facts about the ʻelepaio. If you want to know more exciting information about different birds, check out our pied crow facts and the lark bunting facts.  
 

What type of animal is an ʻelepaio?

The ʻelepaio is a group of birds that consists of three different species: Kauai 'elepaio (Chasiempis sclateri), Oahu ʻelepaio (Chasiempis ibidis), and Hawaii ʻelepaio (Chasiempis sandwichensis).

What class of animal does an ʻelepaio belong to?

ʻElepaio birds belong to the class of Aves, the family of Monarchidae or monarch flycatcher, and the Chasiempis genus.

How many ʻelepaios are there in the world?

These birds are native to the Hawaiian island and population decline could be seen in all three species. The geographic range of the Oahu ʻelepaio birds is around 18 sq mi (47 sq km) and according to a study, there are only 1200-1400 birds left in the Koolau and Waianae range. Also, Hawaiian ʻelepaios are further divided into three subspecies : the Kona ʻelepaio, volcano ʻelepaio, and Mauna kea ʻelepaio. The population of these birds are 60-65,000, 100,000-150,000, and 2,000-2500 birds respectively. While the population of Kauai ʻelepaio birds was around 20,000 in the 1990s but an upsurge of 13% in the population was seen in recent years.

Where does an ʻelepaio live?

The flycatcher of ʻelepaio is native to the Hawaiian island.

What is an ʻelepaio's habitat?

The bird is primarily found in the tropical moist broadleaf forest, dry forest and the rainforest also serves as the ʻelepaio habitat.

Who do ʻelepaios live with?

Several species of the monarch flycatcher family are generally solitary and prefer to live alone, while a few could be seen in small groups. During the breeding season, these birds come closer.

How long does an ʻelepaio live?

Unlike other birds of the monarch flycatcher family found in the Hawaiin island or the United States, the species of ʻelepaio are known for their long lives. The Kauai bird generally lives for around 13 years while the Oahu bird can live up to 21-22 years.

How do they reproduce?

No information regarding the breeding behaviors of the species is available as of now but many species of the monarch flycatcher are monogamous which means the bird would have a single partner throughout its life. These birds construct nests during the months of January and June and female birds generally lay around 1-3 eggs.

What is their conservation status?

Two of the species, the Kauai ʻelepaio, and Hawaii ʻelepaio, are declared Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature while the organization has listed the Oahu ʻelepaio species as Endangered. Loss of habitat and predation are the major threats to this flycatcher.

What do ʻelepaios look like?

The Kauai ʻelepaio birds have black-colored heads and back while the underparts are rusty-red. Both Oahu elapaio and Hawaii ʻelepaio have rust-colored heads. The bird also has a long tail.

*Please note that this is an image of a robin bird, not an ʻelepaio bird. If you have an image of the ʻelepaio bird, please let us known at [email protected].

How cute are they?

ʻElepaios birds are one of the more adorable birds of the monarch flycatcher family. These birds are best known for their alarm calls and songs. Also, ʻelepaios birds are the first to start singing in the native regions. It would be a delight to hear the beautiful voice of the birds.

How do they communicate?

Like other birds of the monarch flycatcher family, the ʻelepaio bird follows the same methods of communication. This bird uses different calls, song, movements of the tail and body to communicate and indicate danger to each other.

How big is an ʻelepaio?

The ʻelepaio size is quite small and the average weight and length of the species are 0.026-0.039 lb (12-18 g) and 4.7-5.5 in (12-14 cm) respectively. These birds are twice the size of the calliope hummingbird.

How fast can an ʻelepaio fly?

The exact speed of the ʻelepaio bird is not known but as the name suggests the species of the monarch flycatcher are known for catching the prey during flight.

How much does an ʻelepaio weigh?

The average weight of the bird is 0.026-0.039 lb (12-18 g).

What are the male and female names of the species?

There are no specific names given to the male and female ʻelepaio birds.

What would you call a baby ʻelepaio?

People generally refer to the babies of the ʻelepaio birds as chicks.

What do they eat?

The birds are insectivores and the primary ʻelepaio diet is braconid wasp and rove beetle. Also, several native big-sized birds often prey on the ʻelepaio birds.

Are they dangerous?

Due to the small size, all the species of the monarch flycatcher family are not harmful to humans but the birds can attack if they feel threatened.

Would they make a good pet?

The species are native to the Hawaiian island and two out of three species of the ʻelepaios are endangered. Threats such as predation, loss of habitat, and diseases have made more them more vulnerable and endangered. Also, these birds are not very social with humans, it is suggested not to keep them as pets, rather we should protect them.

Did you know...

The Chasiempis sandwichensis flycatcher of the big island of Hawaii belongs to the genus of Muscicapa.

People of Hawaii used to consider the endangered bird as a guardian spirit and the incarnation of the Lea goddess.

Naming the ʻelepaio

While talking about the history of the big island of Hawaii, the proverb ʻUā ʻelepaio ʻia ka waʻa was widely used by the people. The meaning of the proverb is the canoe is marked out by ʻelepaio as people referred to these birds as canoe makers. Also, people call these birds ʻelepaio because of their beautiful calls and song.  

Is the ʻelepaio endemic?

Yes, ʻelepaio birds are native to the Hawaiian island.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other birds from our rufous hummingbird facts, or vermilion flycatcher facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Elepaio coloring pages.