The Kiwikiu, or Maui Parrotbill, is a critically endangered bird native to the high-elevation forests of Maui. The Kiwikiu forages on tree trunks, branches, and fruit for insects, thus helping to control insect populations and promote forest health. The Kiwikiu is severely threatened by mosquitoes, which transmit avian malaria and avian pox, diseases to which the bird has little natural immunity. As climate change causes temperatures to rise, mosquitoes are migrating up into higher elevations. The resulting heightened exposure to disease transmission has signi cantly contributed to the decline in Kiwikiu populations, making their conservation even more urgent.The Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project, The Nature Conservancy, and Birds, Not Mosquitoes are some of the agencies urgently 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
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