Five stars for Mandy Talpas and her 10-day, 3-island Hawaii birding tour that just wrapped up. Mandy found every one of the birds we targeted, shared her deep knowledge of and passion for Hawaii and its birds and habitats, and made the trip fun with her infectious personality. I recommend Mandy without reservation.
Fun & Informative Small Group Birding Adventures in Hawaiʻi & Beyond
Enjoy Endemic & Pelagic Birds of Hawaiʻi with Passionate Guides
Aloha! Welcome to Hawaiʻi Bird Tours, where our dedicated and educated team of guides are excited to share their knowledge and passion for birds with you on unforgettable tours. Our keen birding senses combined with unrivalled knowledge of plumages and flight patterns of almost every species means you’ll be getting what you expect when booking a birding tour. We also strive to share Hawaii’s history, culture, flora and fauna while personally catering to each guest in a fun, and informative environment with gregarious guides where everybody can enjoy a pleasant time in nature. Our day trips provide a range of experiences on both land and water across the islands of Hawaiʻi, as we search for endemic forest species and pelagics: from the iconic Hawaiian Honeycreepers to the endangered water birds, including the Hawaiian Goose, Black-necked Stilt, and Hawaiian Duck
If you’re new to birding in Hawaiʻi, looking to explore multiple islands, or just overwhelmed with how to make the most of your visit, we encourage you to consider our multi-day birding tours. These all-inclusive experiences are designed to be carefree bucket list trips by our local experts for the best birding experiences in Hawaiʻi. Our birdwatching adventures aren’t just limited to Hawaiʻi, we travel the world over to bring you the best birding experiences! Check out our international trips for life-affirming tours to South America, the Caribbean, Australia, New Zealand, and throughout the Pacific.
Read Why People Love Us
Five stars for Mandy Talpas and her 10-day, 3-island Hawaii birding tour that just wrapped up. Mandy found every one of the birds we targeted, shared her deep knowledge of and passion for Hawaii and its birds and habitats, and made the trip fun with her infectious personality. I recommend Mandy without reservation.
Mandy is an absolutely excellent guide to all of the birds of Hawaii. Our birding tour booked with Hawaii Bird Tours for 10 days. Mandy made sure each of us got a look at the birds that appeared. Mandy knows many of the birds as individuals, which testifies to her dedication to protecting and loving what she does. She is very respectful of the environment and of the relationships each native bird species has with its habitat. Mandy is highly respected and active in the local environmental and conservation groups, a fact that gave us unique insights to the dynamics in birding in the Hawaiian islands. We felt honored to have access to remote regions and to experience the birds in their native habitats.
I cannot sing enough praises of Mandy who in addition to being a superb birding guide, is a kind and thoughtful person. This was an unforgettable tour.
Very occasionally you meet and spend time with someone whos infectious enthusiasm, passion and commitment to a chosen endeavour erodes a little of your cynicism and restores a huge chunk of your faith in humanity. Mandy Talpas is one such individual.
I have just had the pleasure of spending six days with Mandy birding and photographing on Oahu and Big island. The brief was to get me as many endemics as possible and get me into a position to get some good photos. I have been let down before when my expectations of a trip fell short but on this occassion I need not have worried. Mandy found all the important birds and gained me great access to areas where I could get my photographs. Mandy was always considerate and patient which made for a pleasant birding experience, sharing her knowledge of the Islands, its plants, native peoples and its imperilled birdlife.
I highly recommend hiring Mandy as a birding guide. She help me get some of the hardest birds in Kauai, Hawaii on a custom trip on my ABA Big Year 2018. We got the Anianiau, Kauai Amakihi, Akeke’e, Akikiki, and Puaiaohi along the Mohihi-Waiale Trail. We hiked 7 to 8 miles to achieve this goal 2 different days in a row. It is tough up-and-down terrain and wet and muddy in places but breath taking too. She is willing to go the distance by returning the next day and hiking rain or shine. Always pointing out hazard spots that could possibly trip you up. She is very friendly and easy to talk to you if you want to talk. Outstanding birder that will find the birds for you.
Five stars for Mandy Talpas and her 10-day, 3-island Hawaii birding tour that just wrapped up. Mandy found every one of the birds we targeted, shared her deep knowledge of and passion for Hawaii and its birds and habitats, and made the trip fun with her infectious personality. I recommend Mandy without reservation.
I loved my birding in Hawaii with Mandy. I highly recommend her guided birding tours. Mandy found us the local specialties across the three islands we visited without rushing or stressing over logistics. I appreciate her local knowledge and her ability to put the birds and environment in context. It is encouraging to see the efforts being invested to preserve and improve sensitive Hawaii habitats. Seeing the results, in terms of wild spaces and the birds that thrive there, was a great counterweight to understanding how and why some species will not continue to survive in the wild.
I was on the April 10-19, 2023 “Hawaii’s Best Birding Tour: Endemics to Palagics” with a fun group of birders. Thank you, Mandy, for making it a great experience.
Passionate Expert Birding Guides
5-Star Reviews
All Levels of Birders Welcome
Life Affirming Experiences
Custom Tours
Can’t find the birding experience your looking for? Then our Custom Tour offerings might be just the ticket! These are personalized experiences designed to cater to you and we also have some suggested trips for you to take a look at if you’re looking for inspiration. Contact us today for more information and we’ll help you book your dream birding extravaganza!
The Hawaiʻi Bird Tours Promise
Our goal with every birding trip is to help you view, learn about, and enjoy more birds! Whether you envision casually cruising the coastline in search of seabirds, chasing after endemic forest birds, exploring local hot spots, or all of the above! We’re a team dedicated to providing customized excursions to create your ultimate Hawaiʻi birding experience. Our promise on every eco-tour is to ensure that each guest is having a great time while learning about Hawaii’s alluring flora and fauna and we put conservation at the forefront. We look forward to sharing with you Hawaii’s beautiful birds, unique wildlife, and the projects in place to help save them.
🌺🐦 Imagine experiencing all aspects of Hawaiʻi’s incredible bird life—from misty native forests with endemic honeycreepers to the deep blue Pacific where petrels and tropicbirds soar over the waves.
Our Endemics to Pelagics tours bring together the very best of Hawaiʻi birding in one unforgettable adventure. Guided by local birders who live and work in these ecosystems every day, you’ll explore the islands through the birds that make them unlike anywhere else on Earth.
Whether your dream bird is the brilliant ʻIʻiwi, a Laysan Albatross, or a Hawaiian Petrel returning home at dusk, this tour is designed to showcase the remarkable diversity of Hawaiʻi—from the mountaintops to the open ocean.
Small groups limited to 8 guests. Local expertise. Conservation at the heart of everything we do.
📅 2027 departures are already filling, so now is the perfect time to reserve your spot.
🔗 Visit hawaiibirdtours.com or email us to explore the available dates and reserve your place.
We can’t wait to share our islands—and the birds we love—with you.
#HawaiiBirdTours #BirdingHawaii #BirdingTours #BirdWatching #EndemicBirds #PelagicBirding #BirdPhotography #NatureTravel #Ecotourism #BirdConservation #Hawaii #Birders #AdventureTravel #HuakaiManuOHawaii
🐦 MANU MONDAY | Nēnē
There was a time when the Nēnē—Hawaiʻi’s beloved state bird—stood on the brink of extinction. By the 1950s, fewer than 30 birds remained in the wild.
Today, thanks to decades of dedicated conservation, habitat restoration, predator control, captive breeding, and the commitment of countless people who refused to give up, more than 4,000 Nēnē once again roam the islands. Their story is one of Hawaiʻi’s conservation successes—but it isn’t over yet. Nēnē still face threats from introduced predators, habitat loss, vehicles, and human disturbance, making continued stewardship essential.
One of the most encouraging chapters is unfolding on Molokaʻi, where the Nēnē had disappeared from the island for decades. Through careful reintroduction efforts and the dedication of conservation partners, they’re beginning to make a comeback—a reminder that with patience, collaboration, and mālama ʻāina, recovery is possible.
➡️ Swipe through to learn more about Hawaiʻi’s only endemic goose, discover a few amazing facts, and see our van Black Beauty visiting two Nēnē at Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge.
At the bottom of today’s fact sheet is an ʻŌlelo Noʻeau, a traditional Hawaiian proverb that carries generations of wisdom:
He aliʻi ka ʻāina, he kauwā ke kanaka.
“The land is chief; man is its servant.”
The saying reminds us that we are not masters of the land—we are its caretakers. When we protect native forests, wetlands, and grasslands, we help ensure that birds like the Nēnē will continue to thrive for generations to come.
#ManuMonday #Nene #HawaiiStateBird #HawaiiBirdTours #HuakaiManuOHawaii #EndemicBirds #BirdingHawaii #Conservation #MalamaAina #OleloNoeau #Hakalau #WildlifeWednesday #NativeHawaiianBirds
🌊 Some of Hawaiʻi’s best seabird watching happens in the shadow of a lighthouse. 🐦
IMany of our historic lighthouses stand on dramatic sea cliffs where offshore islets create ideal habitat for seabirds. Whether you’re watching graceful Koaʻe ʻula soaring overhead or searching the horizon for shearwaters and frigatebirds, these landmarks often mark some of the best birding on the islands.
📍 Diamond Head Lighthouse (Oʻahu) has guided mariners since 1917 and sits on the slopes of Lēʻahi. In 1935, Amelia Earhart famously flew over Diamond Head as she completed the first solo flight from Hawaiʻi to the U.S. mainland, making the lighthouse part of one of aviation’s greatest milestones.
📍 Makapuʻu Lighthouse (Oʻahu) overlooks one of our favorite stops to scan for seabirds. During migration and breeding season, the surrounding cliffs and offshore waters can reward birders with everything from shearwaters to brown noddies, and more.
📍 And on Kauaʻi, the beautiful Kīlauea Lighthouse stands within one of Hawaiʻi’s most important seabird sanctuaries. The surrounding national wildlife refuge protects Red-footed Boobies, Laysan Albatrosses, Wedge-tailed Shearwaters, and many other species. HBT proudly supports Friends of Kauaʻi Wildlife Refuges as a donor.
Today, on National Lighthouse Day, we’re celebrating these iconic beacons—not only for guiding ships safely home, but for overlooking some of Hawaiʻi’s most spectacular places to experience the incredible world of seabirds.
#NationalLighthouseDay #HawaiiBirdTours #BirdingHawaii #Seabirds #DiamondHeadLighthouse #MakapuuLighthouse #KilaueaLighthouse #BirdWatching #Conservation #HawaiiNature #HuakaiManuOHawaii