Researchers at AAAS Pacific Division Meeting Explore the Startling Decline of a Hawaiian Native Bird

WAIMEA, Hawaii—The Hawaii akepa is a tiny bird, about the size of a small finch, and where its scarlet cousin the I'iwi is spectacular and another cousin, the akohekohe, is an amazing blend of black, red, and orange, the akepa's beauty is more humble. While the males are brilliant orange, the females feature more muted colors that blend into mountain forests.

For scientists who spoke at the recent annual meeting of the AAAS Pacific Division here, the akepa is nonetheless more remarkable for its unusual breeding cycle, the large size of its nestlings and other evolutionary traits. But the genius of evolution may not be enough to save the akepa.

To learn more about the akepa, read the full story.