Birding Big Island

Day 1

Fly into Kona and meet your new friends at our welcome dinner at 6:15pm at our hotel.

Day 2

We begin our day on a quest for Hawaii Elepaio and the endangered Palila, the last of the finch-like honeycreepers. On our way to thesub-alpine dry forests of mamanae, sandalwood, and naio we will bird Saddle Road for Short-eared Owl (endemic subspecies), Eurasian Skylark, Chukar, California Quail, Wild Turkey, Erckel’s, Black, and Gray francolins and more. From the high elevations of Pu`u La`au along the slopes of Mauna Kea, we will drive to Waikoloa in search of Hawaiian Goose, Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse and African Silverbill, on our way back to Kona.

Target species: Hawaii Elepaio Palila, Short-eared Owl (endemic subspecies), Eurasian Skylark, Chukar, California Quail, Wild Turkey, Erckel’s, Black, and Gray francolins, Hawaiian Goose, Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse, African Silverbill

Day 3

Experience Hakalau aka Hawaii’s honeycreeper heaven! Hakalau Forest NWR is a publicly restricted cloud forest reserve and is home to many of Hawaii’s endangered plants, native arthropods, and endemic birds. We will search for the unique Hawaii Creeper, the gorgeous day glow orange Akepa, the stunning long billed Akiapolaau, the Hawaiian Hawk, Omao (Hawaii Island’s endemic thrush) with beautiful I’iwi, Hawaii Amakihi, and Apapane all over the blossoms of ancient ohia trees enshrouding us.

Target species: Hawaii Creeper, Akepa, Akiapolaau, Hawaiian Hawk, Omao (Hawaii Island’s endemic thrush), I’iwi, Hawaii Amakihi, and Apapane

Day 4

We embark on a pelagic birding charter out of Honokohau Harbor with an experienced local captain for Black Noddy, Brown Noddy, Sooty Tern, Brown Booby, White-tailed Tropicbird, Great Frigatebird, Wedge-tailed Shearwater, Sooty Shearwater, and Bulwer’s Petrel with hopes of finding: Masked Booby, Hawaiian Petrel, Black-winged Petrel, Juan Fernandez Petrel, White-necked Petrel, Newell’s Shearwater, Leach’s Storm Petrel, Band-rumped Storm Petrel, jaegar species, South Polar Skua, incidental cetacean sightings, and more!

Day 5

On our last day we explore Kona’s coastal birding locations including Kealakehe Wastewater Treatment Plant and Aimakapa Fishpond for native waders, waterfowl, Lavender Waxbill and any remaining species that have evaded us thus far.

Day 6

Depart for home from Kona airport after breakfast at the hotel.

This is the only tour of its kind! Other all-inclusive birding tours to Hawaii rush through on a cookie cutter itinerary with guides traveling from the mainland, and don’t get out on the water for pelagic species. Mandy has made Hawaii her permanent home and earns a living off of taking birders out of the city limits to experience the best Hawaii has to offer on a daily basis. She looks forward to sharing Big Island’s best birds, wildlife, food, scenery, history and culture with new friends.

Pricing

$3,600 (double occupancy) plus tax
Single supplement: $575

Included

The tour fee is $3,600 for one person in double occupancy. It includes all lodging from Day 1 through Day 5, all meals from dinner on Day 1 through breakfast on Day 6, all ground transportation (including airport shuttles), and the guide services of the tour leader. Tipping at group meals on pelagic trips are included in your tour fee and will be handled for you. However, if you would like to recognize your guide/ driver/ logistics coordinator for exceptional service, it is entirely appropriate to tip.

The single supplement for the tour is $575. If you do not have a roommate but wish to share, we will try to pair you with a roommate from the tour; but if none is available, you will be billed for the single supplement. Tour fees are based on double occupancy; one-half the cost of a double room is priced into the tour fee. The single supplement is calculated by taking the actual cost of a single room and subtracting one-half the cost of a double room (plus any applicable taxes).

Not Included

The fee does not include your airfare to and from Kona, airport taxes, transfers, visa, any checked or carry-on baggage charges imposed by the airlines, any alcoholic beverages, phone calls, laundry, or other items of a personal nature.

Activity Level: 3/5

To reach the highland forests where the native birds are found and search for pelagic birds by boat, we will have to start our days early, as we’ll want to be near our destinations close to dawn. Much of our birding will be easy walking on roads, wide trails, and boats. The Mauna Kea trails will be uneven, wet and can be muddy. Shoes with good grip and ankle support are recommended. You should be able to easily get in and out of a van (sometimes repeatedly), and able to walk at least three miles, where traction may not be the best and where footing is uneven. You should be prepared to bird in hot, humid, and cool environments, expect some rain. Sea conditions on the pelagic trip can range from calm seas to moderately rough, so you must have decent balance and an ability to steady yourself on a moving boat if you plan to take that trip. Those with balance and stability issues should bring a collapsible walking stick with a wrist loop, and those who find it difficult to stand for long periods should bring a small travel stool. If you’re uncertain as to whether this tour is a good match for your abilities, please don’t hesitate to contact Mandy.

Cancellation

Full payment is due 90 days before all-inclusive set departure date tours. Credit cards will be taken at the time of booking and charged a $500 per person non-refundable deposit. If you cancel outside of 90 days, you will receive a full refund minus your $500 deposit. If you cancel outside of 60 days, you will receive a 50% refund minus your $500 deposit. Your $500 per person deposit can be used as a credit towards another tour within one calendar year of your scheduled tour. Ifyou cancel within less than 60 days of the tour no refund fees will be provided. No shows are responsible for 100% of trip fees.