Hawaii Island

Hawaii Island Birding Trails

A cross-island route through lava fields, rainforests, national parks, and ancient pathways — hosting some of the world's rarest and most extraordinary birds.

About the Hawaii Island Coast to Coast Birding Trail

The Hawaii Island Coast to Coast Birding Trail (HICCBT) is a landmark conservation and ecotourism project — the first trail in Hawaii designated specifically as part of a comprehensive island nature trail network. Conceived as a cross-island birding route, the HICCBT links the Big Island's most important natural, cultural, and scenic areas into a unified birding destination accessible to visitors of all experience levels.

The trail is envisioned as the cornerstone of a larger Hawaii Island Nature Trail Network, a connected system of routes that would ultimately span the entire island and link to Heritage Corridors and Scenic Byways. In its current form, the HICCBT already represents an extraordinary achievement: a single designated route that connects a National Park, two State Parks, several Forest Reserves, two County Parks, a National Wildlife Refuge, public trails, and local businesses — all within the framework of a dedicated birding trail.

The trail's formal opening was celebrated at the first annual Hawaii Island Festival of Birds in September 2016, marking the culmination of years of planning, partnership-building, and community engagement. Since then, the trail has served as a model for birding trail development across the Pacific and a proving ground for the idea that birding tourism can be both economically sustainable and conservation-positive.

Trail Habitats and Ecosystems

One of the most remarkable features of the Hawaii Island Coast to Coast Birding Trail is the sheer diversity of habitats it encompasses. Few places on Earth offer birders the opportunity to move from near-desert shoreline to alpine shrubland in a single day's journey — and the HICCBT delivers exactly that.

The leeward (western) coast of Hawaii Island receives as little as 10 inches of annual rainfall, supporting sparse dry forest and coastal scrub where hardy native plants cling to ancient lava flows. As the trail moves inland and upward, rainfall increases and the vegetation transforms: dry forest gives way to upland pasture and mixed woodland, then to dense native forests of koa and ohia trees as elevation increases.

At higher elevations on the saddle between Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa, the trail passes through sub-alpine shrubland and barren lava fields — a haunting landscape of volcanic rock and hardy pioneer plants that supports its own specialized bird community. The windward (eastern) slope, drenched by nearly 300 inches of annual rainfall in its wettest sections, is covered in lush tropical rainforest that represents some of the most intact native forest remaining on the island.

The trail also passes through or near several significant cultural landmarks, including ancient Hawaiian pathways and archaeological sites that add a rich historical dimension to the birding experience. Hawaii's birds were not merely admired in the islands' pre-contact past — they were central to Hawaiian culture, religion, and craftsmanship. Understanding that connection deepens the experience of watching these birds in their native habitat.

Birds You Can See

The HICCBT offers some of the most diverse birding available anywhere in the United States. Because the trail spans elevations from sea level to 7,000 feet and habitats from coastal wetland to montane rainforest, the cumulative species list is extraordinary.

Hawaiian Honeycreepers

The honeycreepers are the crown jewels of Hawaiian birding. This remarkable family of birds — all descended from a single finch ancestor that reached Hawaii millions of years ago — has diversified into an astonishing array of ecological niches, with bill shapes ranging from stubby seed-crackers to long, curved nectar feeders. On the Big Island, you can still find the brilliant scarlet Apapane feeding on ohia blossoms, the vivid red and black Iiwi with its dramatically curved salmon-pink bill, the adaptable Amakihi, the rare Akepa, and — with great luck in the right forest — the extraordinary Akiapolaau with its unique woodpecker-like chisel lower bill and curved upper bill.

Hawaiian Waterbirds

Hawaii's coastal and lowland wetlands host four endangered waterbird species found only in the Hawaiian Islands. The Hawaiian stilt (Ae'o), Hawaiian coot, Hawaiian duck (Koloa), and Hawaiian moorhen (Alae 'Ula) can all be found at wetland sanctuaries along the Hilo coast and at the Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge on Maui. Migratory shorebirds including Pacific Golden-Plover and Ruddy Turnstone winter at these sites in good numbers.

Raptors and Owls

Hawaii Island is home to two native raptors: the Hawaiian Hawk ('Io) and the Pueo (Hawaiian Short-eared Owl). The Hawaiian Hawk is found only on the Big Island and is one of the most frequently seen native birds along the trail, often perching conspicuously on fence posts and utility poles in open country. The Pueo is a ground-nesting owl that hunts in open grasslands and agricultural fields, most active at dawn and dusk.

Seabirds

Hawaii Island's offshore waters and coastal cliffs support impressive seabird populations. Wedge-tailed Shearwaters nest in colonies on offshore islets and return to their burrows at dusk in spectacular evening flights. Sooty Terns and Brown Noddies form large breeding colonies on protected offshore rocks. The rare Hawaiian Petrel ('Ua'u) and Newell's Shearwater nest in burrows on high-elevation slopes and can sometimes be heard calling overhead during their nocturnal commutes between nesting areas and the sea.

Key Trail Segments

The Hawaii Island Coast to Coast Birding Trail is best experienced in segments, each offering a distinct set of bird species and habitats. Here are the key areas to prioritize on any visit:

Hilo Ponds and Bayfront

The Wailoa Fish Ponds, Liliuokalani Park, and the Hilo Bayfront offer easy, accessible birding within minutes of downtown Hilo. These urban and semi-wild wetlands consistently host Hawaiian stilt, Hawaiian coot, and a rotating cast of migratory shorebirds. Pacific Golden-Plover winter here in good numbers and can be surprisingly approachable on manicured lawns.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

One of the most dramatic birding environments in the world, the park encompasses habitats from sea level lava desert to the summit caldera of Kilauea at 4,000 feet. Native forest birds — including Apapane and Amakihi — can be found along the park's forest trails, and the open lava fields host the Hawaiian Hawk year-round. Dawn visits to Kipuka Puaulu (Bird Park) offer some of the most reliable native forest bird experiences in the state.

Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge

The gold standard of Hawaiian forest birding, Hakalau Forest NWR on the eastern slope of Mauna Kea is the most important remaining native forest bird habitat on the Big Island. Access requires advance permits, but the rewards are exceptional: high densities of Apapane, Iiwi, Amakihi, Akepa, and Akiapolaau, along with the rare Hawaii Creeper and Omao, make this one of the most extraordinary birding experiences in the United States.

Saddle Road and High Elevation Zone

The Saddle Road corridor between Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa offers access to sub-alpine habitat where the endangered Palila can sometimes be found in mamane forest on Mauna Kea's upper slopes. The high grasslands host Horned Lark, introduced game birds, and short-eared owls at dawn and dusk.

Planning Your Visit

The best time to visit the Hawaii Island Coast to Coast Birding Trail is year-round — the Big Island's exceptional climate means good birding in every season. However, specific timing can optimize your experience depending on what you most want to see.

Forest birds are most vocal and active during the breeding season from March through July. Early morning (before 9 a.m.) is always the most productive time for forest birding, as activity decreases significantly by mid-morning. Wetland birding is excellent year-round for resident species and best from October through April when migratory shorebirds and waterfowl are present.

The annual Hawaii Island Festival of Birds in late September provides a structured, expert-guided introduction to the trail's best birding locations. Festival tours include access to restricted areas and small-group sizes that maximize wildlife encounters while minimizing disturbance to sensitive species.

Conservation and Future Vision

The Hawaii Island Coast to Coast Birding Trail is more than a visitor attraction — it is a conservation tool. By directing birding tourism to the Big Island's most important natural areas, the trail creates economic incentives for habitat protection and motivates local communities, landowners, and businesses to support conservation rather than development of critical bird habitats.

The future vision for the HICCBT includes expansion to incorporate additional areas of Hawaii Island and eventual linkage to heritage corridors and scenic byways across the state, creating a Hawaii Island Nature Trail Network that serves birders, hikers, cultural tourists, and the communities that depend on Hawaii's natural landscapes. Every visitor to the trail today helps build the case for continued investment in this vision.

Join us for the festival: The annual Hawaii Island Festival of Birds celebrates the trail and Hawaii's extraordinary birds. View festival tickets and tour options.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Hawaii Island Coast to Coast Birding Trail spans the width of the Big Island from the Kohala/Kona coast on the west to the Hilo Bay watershed on the east. The total distance varies depending on the route taken, but the main corridor covers approximately 50 to 80 miles as the trail weaves through its diverse habitats.

The trail is not a single continuous footpath but rather a designated birding route linking existing trails, roads, refuges, and access points. Visitors can experience sections of the trail in a single day or plan multi-day visits to explore the full range of habitats from coast to coast.

The best section of the HICCBT for Hawaiian Honeycreepers is the montane rainforest segment on the windward slope of Mauna Kea, particularly in the areas of Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge and adjacent state forest reserves. These high-elevation forests (generally above 4,000 feet) are above the mosquito line and therefore free of the avian malaria that has eliminated native birds from lower elevations.

At these altitudes, you have the best chance of encountering Apapane, Iiwi, Amakihi, Akepa, Akiapolaau, and Hawaii Creeper — species that simply cannot survive at lower elevations. Dawn visits to these forest areas during the breeding season (March through July) offer the most active birding, with birds calling loudly from the ohia canopy.

Some sections of the Hawaii Island Coast to Coast Birding Trail pass through protected areas that require permits or advance reservations. Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge, for example, requires visitors to obtain access permits from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and access is typically limited to specific days and party sizes.

The Hawaii Island Festival of Birds organizes guided tours that include access to restricted areas not available to independent visitors. Joining a festival tour is often the most practical way for visitors to access the best birding locations on the island. For independent visits, contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Hawaii Islands office or the Hawaii DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife in advance of your trip.

Essential gear for birding on the HICCBT includes binoculars (8x42 or 10x42 are recommended for forest birding), a field guide to Hawaiian birds, sturdy waterproof footwear, and layers of clothing suitable for the dramatic weather changes encountered as you ascend through different elevation zones.

A rain jacket is essential — conditions can change rapidly, especially on the windward side and at higher elevations. Sunscreen, insect repellent, and plenty of water are also critical. For photography, telephoto lenses of 400mm or longer are ideal for the fast-moving birds of the forest canopy, though shorter lenses work well for the open-country and wetland species found at lower elevations.

Yes, much of the Hawaii Island Coast to Coast Birding Trail is accessible to independent birders through public trails, parks, and refuges. The Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Waimea Canyon, Kohala Coast shoreline trails, and the Hilo ponds are all accessible without guides and offer excellent birding opportunities.

However, for the most productive and educational experience — particularly for locating rare endemic forest birds — a local guide adds immense value. Local guides know exactly where species can be reliably found at any given season, can identify birds by their calls, and can access permitted areas not open to general visitors. The Hawaii Island Festival of Birds offers organized guided tours that represent some of the best birding access available on the island.

The coastal and low-elevation wetland sections of the HICCBT are home to some of Hawaii's most charismatic endangered birds. The Hawaiian stilt (Ae'o), with its improbably long pink legs and bold black-and-white plumage, is found at several wetland sanctuaries along the Hilo coast. The Hawaiian coot (Alae Ke'oke'o) and Hawaiian duck (Koloa) are also resident at these ponds year-round.

During migratory seasons, these wetlands attract a wide variety of shorebirds and waterfowl from Alaska, Siberia, and North America. Pacific Golden-Plover, Ruddy Turnstone, Wandering Tattler, and Bar-tailed Godwit are among the notable winter visitors. The rare Hawaiian moorhen (Alae 'Ula) can also be found skulking in the reed beds at several wetland locations along the coast.