Na Koaekea

A subspecies of the White-tailed Tropicbird, koa‘e kea is indigenous to the Hawaiian Islands with about 1,800 breeding pairs. The seabird rapidly beats its wings and glides effortlessly, mostly foraging alone and often far from land. Koa‘e kea plunge dive from fifty to sixty five feet above the water to capture prey. They often will follow ships. Koa‘e kea remain paired together for years in breeding colonies, performing aerial ballets at the start of the breeding season. Nests are in hard-to-reach cliffs, caves and tree hollows. In Hawai‘i, females lay only a single egg between March and October. Both parents incubate the egg, brood and feed the chick all of whom are susceptible to being eaten by rats, cats and mongoose.

2023

oil and burned silk on canvas, 46 x 64 in

A subspecies of the White-tailed Tropicbird, koa‘e kea is indigenous to the Hawaiian Islands. Currently, there are about 1,800 breeding pairs which nest in hard-to-reach cliffs, caves and tree hollows. Koa‘e kea are known to follow ships and plunge dive from fifty to sixty five feet above the water to capture prey. The species rapidly beats its wings and glides effortlessly, mostly foraging alone and often far from land. Males and females remain paired together for years in breeding colonies, performing aerial ballets at the start of the breeding season. In Hawai‘i, females lay only a single egg between March and October. Both parents incubate the egg, brood and feed the chick all of whom are susceptible to being eaten by rats, cats and mongoose.

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