The ‘apapane is a Hawaiian honeycreeper, a native species of forest bird found in the mid to high-elevation forests of the Hawaiian islands. ‘Apapane feed on flower nectar from several native Hawaiian species such as ‘ōhi‘a as well as the ‘iliahi illustrated in the fabric art. Like most Hawaiian native forest birds, they are most threatened by mosquitoes, which are not native to Hawai‘i, and which transmit avian malaria and avian pox. These diseases kill many birds and limit the bird’s range to high elevations in the mountains where it is too cold for mosquitoes. As climate change causes temperatures to rise, mosquitoes are migrating up into higher elevations. The resulting increased exposure to disease transmission threatens the native forest birds. Birds, Not Mosquitoes is one of several agencies working to protect these and other native Hawaiian honeycreepers from extinction. To learn more about how you can help, visit: www.birdsnotmosquitoes.org
- David Shepard