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Manu Minute
Wednesdays
Hosted by Patrick Hart

Need a break in your day? Whether you're in your car or still in bed, Manu Minute brings you rich sounds from Hawai'i's native forests and shorelines. Each week, we feature a different Hawaiʻi bird and its unique song, and talk about its environment and conservation.

Trying to identify a bird? Call us on The Conversation's talkback line at 808-792-8217 with your name, your location and your email.

Manu Minute is a collaboration between HPR and the LOHE Bioacoustics Lab at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo. The series is hosted by Patrick Hart, the lab's principal investigator, and produced by HPR's Savannah Harriman-Pote and UH Hilo Ann Tanimoto-Johnson.

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  • Koloa māpu, also called northern pintails, are dabbling ducks. They are considered indigenous to Hawaiʻi.
    Manu Minute: Koloa māpu, the dabbling duck
    The koloa māpu is one of Hawaiʻi's most common winter migratory ducks.
  • Canada geese are commonly found in the arctic and temperate regions of Northern America. They are uncommon winter migratory visitors to the Hawaiian Islands.
    Manu Minute: The migrant Canada goose
    The Canada goose may look out of place on our tropical shores, but this migratory bird has a long history in our islands. Listen and learn on today's Manu Minute.
  • Manu Minute: The rare ʻalae ʻula
    The endemic ʻalae ʻula is one of a handful of subspecies of the common gallinule, but there's nothing common about this waterbird. Listen to their calls, thanks to the Macaulay Library of the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology.
  • The red-vented bulbul gets its name from the tuft of crimson feathers under its tail. It is also the only black bird on Oʻahu with a black crest on its head.
    Manu Minute: The pesky red-vented bulbul
    Curious about that black-crested bird you've seen flitting around your Oʻahu neighborhood? That's likely a red-vented bulbul. We've got its song today, thanks to the Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
  • 'A'o are mainly spotted offshore foraging in mixed-species flocks. Both males and females have dark-colored backs with white undersides and underwings.
    Manu Minute: ʻAʻo, the tuna bird
    ʻAʻo are endemic seabirds that serve important functions on both water and land.
  • Chestnut-bellied sandgrouse are sexually dimorphic in their plumage. Males are sandy brown-colored with a thin black breast band and chestnut-colored belly, while females are sandy brown with black bars on their backs and mottled neck plumage. Can you identify which is which in the above photo?
    Manu Minute: The chestnut-bellied sandgrouse
    Thanks to Xeno Canto, we've got the calls of a desert gamebird that makes its home on Hawaiʻi Island. University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo professor Patrick Hart introduces us to the chestnut-bellied sandgrouse.
  • Rose-ringed parakeets are bright, emerald green birds with orange-red hooked bills and long, pointed tails. Males have red or black neck rings, hence their name.
    Manu Minute: The rose-ringed parakeet
    Pets to pests… On this week’s Manu Minute, we’ve got the songs, or rather squawks of the introduced rose-ringed parakeet. That’s courtesy of recordings from the Macaulay Library at the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology.
  • The inconspicuous Japanese bush warbler has a melodious song that signifies the beginning of spring.
    Manu Minute: The shy Japanese bush warbler
    Hawaiʻi is the only place in the world where Japanese bush warblers have become established outside their natural range. You can hear their song on today's Manu Minute, thanks to the Macaulay Library at the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology.
  • The white-rumped shama earns its name from the distinctive white spot just above its tail feathers.
    Manu Minute: The well-named white-rumped shama
    Folks on Oʻahu, Kauaʻi, and Maui can keep their eyes wide and ears out for the sight or sound of the lovely white-rumped shama. We have its song on today's Manu Minute, thanks to the Macaulay Library at the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology.
  • Zebra doves usually mate for life. Males draw attention to themselves during mating season by incessantly bowing, cooing, and flaring their tail feathers.
    Manu Minute: The zebra dove
    The coo coo coo-ing call of the zebra dove is likely familiar to anyone who's ever waited outside for the bus, stopped to rest on a park bench, or enjoyed a picnic on a sunny day. Take a listen, courtesy of the Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
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