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Birds Oahu, Hawaii (1 Viewer)

gophish

Well-known member
I will be taking a trip to Oahu in November this year. Does anyone have any insite as to what birds to look for there or any good spots to make sure to check out?
thanks Ken H.
 
Can't think of any off the top of my head, but when I was there a few years back I used the book "Enjoying Birds in Hawaii" by H. Douglas Pratt. It is pretty outdated now I guess, but there may have been a re-print. Another good source of info is the website http://www.birdinghawaii.co.uk/. If you get a chance to visit the other islands, they are all different and combine well for a great trip.
 
Oahu Birding

gophish said:
I will be taking a trip to Oahu in November this year. Does anyone have any insite as to what birds to look for there or any good spots to make sure to check out?
thanks Ken H.

Hi Ken,

Check out Lyons Arboretum for all kinds of species from songbirds to parrots. Early morning and just before dusk are the best sighting times. I was there this spring and had a wonderful time.

/emily
 
We do have a member called kerrypilot who is from Hawaii, who does come on the forum quite regularly, hopefully they may see your message.
So they should be able to help you.
 
Oahu Birding

toozoo said:
Hi Ken,

Check out Lyons Arboretum for all kinds of species from songbirds to parrots. Early morning and just before dusk are the best sighting times. I was there this spring and had a wonderful time.

/emily

Whoops! I just got word (within an hour of posting this....) that Lyons Arboretum is temporarily closed. Perhaps it will be re-opened by November.

/emily
 
I just went in July. You can order the booklet Hawaii's Birds by Hawaii Audubon Society. I bought it at Borders while on Oahu. The book tells the common locations where each bird can be found. There are several wildlife preserves on the island. Just get a descent map and you can easily find them. Audubon has a big tourist attraction in Waimea (north shore). Its worth a stop.

Have fun!
Summer



gophish said:
I will be taking a trip to Oahu in November this year. Does anyone have any insite as to what birds to look for there or any good spots to make sure to check out?
thanks Ken H.
 
Ditto. The Audubon book is great. We used it when we were in Hawaii. Be prepared to see some gorgeous birds. Have a great trip! Vik
 
The post from toozoo reminded me of Fosters Botanical Garden in Honolulu. Besides the wildlife preserves that would be a good place to find birds. Its a great garden as well and worth a visit.

Aloha!
Summer


gophish said:
I will be taking a trip to Oahu in November this year. Does anyone have any insite as to what birds to look for there or any good spots to make sure to check out?
thanks Ken H.
 
Canned 'birdwatching tours' are unlikely to be satisfying. They want your dollars for as little effort as possible and will probably show you a few cardinals in return. Before coming here it is important to really do research about WHICH birds you want to see, and talk to people who know where to find them. (usually NOT tour operators) Most tours do not take people to the good areas. A private tour from a good local guide is obviously best.
 
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Private tour for 1-3 guests to observe Oahu's unique honeycreepers, water birds, or seabirds. Led by Michael Walther, the owner of Oahu Nature Tours, who has conducted numerous Hawaii forest bird surveys and has written books and magazine articles about Hawaii's native bird species.best hawaii tours
 
I lived in Hawaii for years, years ago, and I frequently return to visit friends and do some birding. I agree that you'll probably get more out of Oahu birding if you do a bit of research beforehand.

I also agree that a private tour, as described in the postings above, may be the best way to see the forest endemics - and the safest. the Hawaiian forest birds are in the more mountainous areas - some in the same areas that are patronized by pig hunters and growers - and can have mudslides and flash floods.

Two areas that you may enjoy without a guide > Waimea Falls on the North Shore. This place has changed ownership over the years, but the last time I was there it was being managed by Audubon. Lots of introduced species with introduced tropical flora - with weak and outdated exhibits of Hawaiian endemics. This was about five years ago, and I believe Audubon had just started managing the place, so maybe some things have changed.

> James Campbell NWR, also on the North Shore close to Kahuku. It's closed most of the year, but opens sometime in October/November and closes again in Feb, I think. There is a ranger or guide there on some days (maybe all the time now). Their website should provide such details. and here is a link Link to Audubon with some info.

If the price is right, I'll be visiting HI in November as well. I'd like to get to the JCampbell NWR to see bristle-thighed curlews.

Not sure of your budget and time restraints, but interisland airfares are usually reasonable and birding on Kauai and Big Island can be very rewarding.

One more thing I should mention: November is high surf season, with lots of surfers in the North Shore area - be careful around the ocean waters, and be careful of where you leave your gear.
 
Private tour for 1-3 guests to observe Oahu's unique honeycreepers, water birds, or seabirds. Led by Michael Walther, the owner of Oahu Nature Tours, who has conducted numerous Hawaii forest bird surveys and has written books and magazine articles about Hawaii's native bird species.Hotel Hawaii

I checked out those tours they were pretty awesome!

Thanks,

-Jim
 
Hey guys, it looks like you're a few years too late for a reply. Still it's good info...:t:

You might also remember that there are people like me who will be interested at a later date. So such info is still most welcome. Except that some websites are either no longer working, or else they have changed so much that they may no longer be useful.
 
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