ʻIʻiwi Sticker

ʻIʻiwi (Drepanis coccinea) are one of the most beautiful and iconic Hawaiian honeycreepers, a group of finches endemic to Hawaii. With their bright scarlet color, long curved bill, and unique vocalizations, they are unmistakable in the forest. You can hear them metallically singing their own name or calling a shrill pitch like a rusty gate swinging open. ʻIʻiwi are important pollinators of ‘ōhi‘a, and can sometimes be seen with bright yellow pollen stuck to their foreheads as proof of their important work! 

ʻIʻiwi were once common at low elevations on all the main Hawaiian Islands. Now, they can only reliably be found at high elevations on Maui, Kauaʻi, and Hawaiʻi Island. This is because they are especially vulnerable to avian malaria and avian pox, diseases spread by non-native, invasive mosquitoes. Because mosquitos can’t survive the colder temperatures at higher elevations, many species of native birds have been restricted to high elevation habitat, or even driven to extinction. However, there is hope! Researchers have developed the “incompatible insect technique” which uses the naturally occurring bacteria Wolbachia as a kind of mosquito birth control. To learn more about IIT, you can read more at Birds Not Mosquitos

Sticker features: 

• Width: 3 inches (7.6 cm)
• Height: 2 inches (5 cm)
• Durable, Waterproof, Weatherproof, UV-resistant

Bring your love of ʻiʻiwi wherever you go with this sticker! Our stickers are waterproof, weatherproof, UV-resistant, and very durable- so stick it on your car, water bottle, laptop, notebook, or wherever your heart desires!

More information on ʻIʻiwi:
https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/wildlife/birds/iiwi/ 
https://ecos.fws.gov/ecp/species/9076 
https://abcbirds.org/bird/iiwi/