Seabirds of Kīlauea

Examples of seabirds at Kīlauea Point on the north shore of Kaua’i today (4 April 2024):

‘Ua‘u kani, or Wedge-tailed Shearwater (Ardenna pacifica)

Koa‘e ‘ula, or Red-tailed Tropicbird (Phaethon rubricauda)…including two in a courtship display:

‘Ā, or Red-footed Booby (Sula sula)

Mōlī, or Laysan Albatross (Phoebastria immutabilis)

‘Iwa, or Great Frigatebird (Fregata minor)

Soaring on the canyon winds

Koa’e kea, or White-tailed Tropicbird (Phaethon lepturus), soaring in Waimea Canyon on Kaua’i.  

Magical to watch these seabirds flying on the winds in these steep canyons.