honeycreeper

A honeycreeper is a common name applied to a group of small, often brightly colored, passerine birds in the family Thraupidae. These birds are primarily found in the Neotropics, with a significant concentration of species in Hawaii. Their diet often consists of nectar, which they extract from flowers using specialized, often decurved, bills. The shape and size of these bills vary greatly among different honeycreeper species, reflecting a remarkable adaptive radiation driven by their feeding habits.

In Hawaii, the honeycreepers are a classic example of adaptive radiation, having evolved from a single ancestral finch-like bird into numerous distinct species. These Hawaiian honeycreepers, belonging to the subfamily Drepanidinae, exhibit a wide array of beak shapes and sizes, adapted to feed on different food sources such as nectar, insects, seeds, and even the flesh of small vertebrates in some extinct species. Sadly, many Hawaiian honeycreeper species are now extinct or critically endangered due to habitat loss, introduced predators, and disease.

Outside of Hawaii, the term honeycreeper can also refer to certain species within the tanager family (Thraupidae) that share nectar-feeding habits. These Neotropical honeycreepers often display vibrant plumage, with colors ranging from greens and yellows to blues and reds. They play an important role in pollination as they move from flower to flower. Conservation concerns also exist for some Neotropical honeycreeper species due to deforestation and habitat fragmentation.