A Small but Mighty ‘Akepa
Posted at 10:09 am June 22, 2007 by Amy Lockyer
Spring is here and with it the Keauhou Bird Conservation Center’s (KBCC) busiest time of year. This year was especially exciting. The Hawaii Endangered Bird Conservation Program hatched its smallest chick yet! On May 31, 2007, the staff at KBCC hatched a Hawaiian ‘akepa (ah-KE-pa) weighing in at only 0.94 grams (less than 1/30 of an ounce). While the ‘akepa is thought to be the smallest passerine ever artificially incubated and hand-reared, in the past the hatchlings have weighed about 1.1 grams. To put this into perspective, here are a few items that also weigh 0.95 grams: 2 thumbtacks, 2 Q-tips®, or 2 ½ small paper clips. Or how about 1 ½ M&M’s® (regular, NOT peanut!). A dime is more than twice as heavy as the little ‘akepa chick.
The initial diet for our tiny chick was cricket guts, honeybee larvae, and hardboiled egg fed every hour from 6 a.m. until 8 p.m. (or longer if the chick needs extra feeds). After a few days of growth we add mealworm guts, papaya, and nectar. We slowly add several mineral and vitamin supplements along the way, items like calcium, vitamin B1, bone meal, and a special tonic. We’ll be feeding this chick until it is about 50 days old, slowly decreasing our feeding schedule as the chick learns to feed on his own. His (her?) adult diet will soon be mostly nectar and insects.
Today, the chick is about three weeks old and weighs 7.5 grams (0.26 ounces). That is equal to two pennies. He is very strong and surprisingly loud for such a little guy. He fledged on June 20, and while he is still apprehensive about large flights across the aviary, he is getting around quite well and enjoying his freedom. Who knows, someday he may be enjoying his freedom outside of our aviaries in a native Hawaiian forest!
We’re hoping this little bundle of energy will join the adult ‘akepa (including his/her parents) in the flock of birds that are scheduled for release in August in Hawaii’s Division of Forestry and Wildlife management area at Kipuka 21 on the Saddle Road on the slopes of Mauna Kea. That will be a great day for all of us!
Amy Lockyer is a research associate with the Hawaii Endangered Bird Conservation Program/CRES.
Read a blog about the first ‘akepa to hatch under the Program’s care.
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June 25th, 2007 at 6:14 am
Oh my gosh!! Is that actually a little bird in that top picture? Amazing. Wow. Keep up the GREAT work you guys are doing!!
June 26th, 2007 at 5:26 am
Amazing! I never realized there was such a tiny bird and I can’t imagine how you would feed it. You must be such proud parents! Congratulations and I hope there will be more additions to your flock!
June 26th, 2007 at 12:11 pm
Fabulous story! Incredible results of hard work. It is amazing how fast the little guy grew! To describe him as “tiny” at hatching is an understatement. I agree with Agneta, how could you even feel something so small and light weight.
Let’s hope he continues to thrive with such tender loving care, and is part of those of his “family” that are released into the wild on Mauna Kea. It is a beautiful mountain, so he will have a wonderful place to live and enjoy his freedom.
Are you still hand feeding him, or since he fledged and flys around on his own has he learned to forage and eat on his own?
June 29th, 2007 at 8:25 am
The chick is still being fed several times a day as he/she learns to eat on its own. This is all part of the weaning process that takes several weeks to complete before the chick is completely independent. “Fledge” means to leave the nest and “wean” means to be eating independently without human or parental assistance. Two terms we use quite often in aviculture.
July 22nd, 2007 at 8:35 pm
I really enjoy reading this blog, as I am from Hawaii and am truly concerned about our fragile ecosystems. It’s funny when tourists remark with delight how beautiful and unique our “native” birds are when, in fact, they laid eyes on an imported, perhaps, invasive, species. Unfortunately, even locals are not as educated and/or lack understanding regarding the situation here. I’m thankful for the Hawaii Bird Project. Congratulations on every success! Is there any way for people to volunteer???
October 29th, 2007 at 12:07 pm
Wonderful that you could actually nurture something so tiny. Thank you for what you do.
December 9th, 2007 at 8:39 pm
Thanks for all of your dedication and hard work. As a Hawaii resident and natural sciences major at UH Hilo, I’ve only recently recognized the true value of conservation work. By the way, does this little guy have a name?
December 10th, 2007 at 6:12 pm
Traci, by “name”, do you mean, “Alex”? The species is ‘Akepa, as the blog notes. I know from visits to the Keauhou Bird Conservation Center that they have Hawaiian names for each ‘Alala, Hawaiian Crow, but I don’t think they carry out that practice with the other species. Usually, they are given reference numbers.
The blog doesn’t note it, but the ‘Akepa is the only native Hawaiian forest bird species that only nests in cavities. And, they are somewhat like crossbills, with crossing bill tips that are used to open open leaf buds and blossoms. The photos don’t show the dramatic appearance of the male.
The hatchling size leads me to think that it’s nearly as small as an Anna’s Hummingbird hatchling, although the adults are a bit larger than this hummer.