Kaulana Manu Trail on the Big Island: Seeing Hawaii’s Endemic Birds

Making a day trip to Mauna Kea is a unique sort of thing to add to your time on the Big Island, whether it’s from the Kona Coast or Hilo, but did you know that there’s more to visiting this area than just going up to the visitor center or summit? The Kaulana Manu Nature Trail is actually a fantastic birdwatching opportunity that is really easy to miss, but it’s one of the best places on the Big Island to see the endemic i’iwi bird. If you’re hoping to cross this beautiful red bird off your wildlife checking for Hawaii, be sure to add the Kaulana Manu Nature Trail to your itinerary.

Not into birds? First of all, that’s okay; I don’t understand, but I don’t judge you, and you’ll still enjoy the short hike at the Kaulana Manu Nature Trail. Read on to see what you’ll find here in this wonderful birding destination on the Saddle Road between Hilo and Kona. If you have questions about this spot or other wonderful birdwatching areas around Hawaiian Islands, please leave a comment or send us a note. We’re always happy to share more and help you plan a great Aloha trip.

Why do the Kaulana Manu Nature Trail

I am always happy to geek out over birds, and even just over the prospects of birds. It’s like a high I get on when I’m silently walking the trails keeping my eyes and ears alert that I just love, and the Kaulana Manu Nature Trail is perfect for it. It’s not a busy hiking trail because it’s a short loop and many people coming to the Saddle Road at Mauna Kea are planning the longer lava hikes towards Mauna Loa and likely not looking to go birding. I love how still this area of forest is. It’s full of the lehua ohia and hapu’u (tree ferns) and is beautiful to walk through, even if you’re not into birds or if you’re not seeing any.

When you are lucky and getting to see the amazing endemic birds of Hawaii here on the Kaulana Manu Nature Trail you’ll be thrilled. Something unique about doing the Kaulana Manu Nature Trail are the platform areas. About halfway along the trail you’ll be able to step up onto a platform to look out across the rugged part of the forest and watch for pueo, the Hawaiian short eared owl. I’ll be honest, I’ve never gotten to see a pueo here but other people have told me they have, so I’ll forever be hopeful. If you don’t get to see one here, keep your eyes peeled when you’re back out on the Saddle Road, as the pueo love the more exposed areas that the grassy swaths and lava flows provide.

As you continue walking the Kaulana Manu Nature Trail, which is only a half mile, you’ll likely see plenty of birds, but the i’iwi is the big ticket one to look for. This is my favorite endemic Hawaiian bird and you can’t mistake it for another. The i’iwi is bright red with black. And it’s not just their feathers that are bright red, but their beaks, legs, talons and eyelids are all red too. They’re really beautiful and unique. A part of the honeycreeper family, they’re related to the amakihi and apapane that you’ll also see on the trail.

Tips for a Birdwatching at Kaulana Manu Nature Trail

If you’re up for it, take some time before you get to the Kaulana Manu Nature Trail, or if you’re also visiting the Kipukapuaulu Trail in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, to listen to the bird songs on your phone and see if you can hear the differences in the bird calls. The Merlin app is great for it, but you can also listen to the different bird sounds on YouTube. The i’iwi and amakihi are the trickier bird songs to mimic, so maybe even practice a bit before you’re on the trail. There are lots of apapane around, so you don’t need to focus on learning their song.

• Listen to the I’iwi song here
• Listen to the Amakihi song here

One of the best ways to spot these beautiful birds when you’re on the kaulana Manu Nature Trail is to walk a few, maybe 10 yards, and then stop and just watch and listen. Because the forest is so dense on this particular trail you have to allow your eyes to adjust and sense the movement in the branches. While the apapane and amakiki tend to be a bit higher in the trees, the i’iwi tend to be lower, from shin level in the bushes to just over head level in the branches. They don’t like you to be close to them, so enjoy them from a distance and only move very slowly if you’re close to an i’iwi. Although this is such a short trail,

I would allow an hour to enjoy it and really give yourself the chance to see as many of the colorful birds as possible. If you’re driving the Saddle Road from Hilo, the Kaulana Manu Nature Trail is just a half hour into your drive over to Kailua-Kona, so you can easily add it to your day crossing the Island of Hawai’i.

Being Prepared for the Kaulana Manu Trail and Saddle Road

Since the Kaulana Manu Nature Trail isn’t a long one, just a half mile, you’re actually probably fine to hike it in any shoes but high heels. I love my Keens because they are so rough and tumble, but the Kaulana Manu Nature Trail is well maintained and not too rocky or rooty. If it’s been raining, it can be a little muddy, but not bad. This isn’t like hiking in the Cloud Forest of Kona, as it’s much more arid up here at the base of Mauna Kea. Speaking of it being arid, even on short walks here or up on Mauna Kea I find that I am thirsty immediately due to the climate and the wind (not too windy on this hike though). Be prepared with plenty of water both for you trail time and just while you’re driving.

Now, when it comes to camera gear, Hawaii’s endemic birds are very small so you need to have fast eyes and a fast camera. I use a DSLR with a high shutter speed, but if you have a mirrorless camera with a good telephoto, that’s really the ticket to getting the best bird photos while you’re here on the Big Island or anywhere else in Hawaii. The hillside area of the Hosmer Grove in Haleakala National Park is great for seeing i’iwi and apapane as well, and there it’s much more exposed so there’s a lot more light, which in turn makes a less fancy camera take really great shots, but here where there’s a lot of shade in the forest, the lower light makes clear bird photos more difficult.

Getting to the Kaulana Manu Nature Trail

Driving up the Saddle Road from Hilo, it’s about 30 minutes to the Kaulana Manu Nature Trail. Once here, there is plenty of parking and a nice restroom. And then the trail is just… wait, where’s the trail? You need to follow the painted path away from the parking area and up the road a little bit. This will then turn down onto the trail that leads you into the forest. NOW you’re on the Kaulana Manu Nature Trail and ready for some great birding!