Kaua?i?s forest birds are disappearing right in front of our eyes. Five of 13 species have vanished in the last 40 years, and three others, the puaiohi, ?akikiki, and ?akeke?e, are critically endangered. Most of these species disappeared without any records of song, behavior or appearance, making this loss even more devastating not only to scientists, conservationists and cultural practitioners but to all of us.

We are ready to resist extinction and we need your help!

The little bird on this t-shirt is the 'akikiki or Kaua'i Creeper, a Honeycreeper endemic to the island of Kaua'i. Once common, today, the ?akikiki numbers fewer than 40 individuals in the wild and is predicted to go extinct in the wild by early 2024. Their No.1 threat is avian malaria, a disease transmitted to the birds by introduced mosquitoes (learn more about this disease and what we do to protect the birds in the video at the bottom).

The ?akikiki are considered a little drab compared to the other vibrantly colored honeycreepers. But that doesn?t mean they aren?t impressive. These small manu have grayish-brown backs and off-white bellies. Their legs, feet, and short, slightly decurved bill is pink. Adult ?akikiki have a dark faces, while the keiki have pale ?spectacles.?

?Akikiki are active and agile: foraging in pairs or flocks. They peck and pull the back of snags and trunks of trees, such as the ??hi?a and ??lapa. You might find them hanging upside down in search of caterpillars and spiders.

We were recently awarded a grant from the County of Kaua'i Office of Economic Development (Mahalo!!) to produce a documentary about the story of the ?akikiki, where we capture their behavior, song and appearance while they are still around in the wild. This will serve as an archive for scientists, conservationists, cultural practitioners and all of us to be able to remember and experience these birds in the wild.

And here is where we need help:

We would like to show this documentary to as many people around the world as possible. Our goal is to raise awareness not only about the 'akikiki and their dire fate, but about all Hawaiian Honeycreepers and what we need to do to help them.

Funds raised will be used to host events on Kaua'i, in Hawai'i and hey, if we raise enough money even on the mainland! We would like to have in-person and virtual events and be able to tell the story of the 'akikiki to the world.

We are a not-for-profit organization located in H?napepe on the island of Kaua'i. Our fiscal sponsor is Garden Island Resource Conservation and Development, 100% of the profits raised will go to our project.

Our mission is to promote knowledge, appreciation, and conservation of Kaua?i?s native forest birds. We focus on one threatened (I?iwi) and three federally endangered species (Puaiohi, ?Akikiki, and ?Akeke?e) , with the goal of facilitating recovery of their populations in the wild.

Learn more about us here: kauaiforestbirds.org.