The koaʻe ʻula, or red-tailed tropicbird, is well-built for soaring through the air, and is known to make spectacular dives from over 150 feet to catch fish and squid just under the ocean’s surface.
But you'll need to be a very strong swimmer (or have a boat) to see this seabird in action. Koaʻe ʻula rarely fish within sight of land, though they do come to shore to nest under shrubs or along sandy beaches.
Koaʻe ʻula mainly keep to the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Their cousins, the koaʻe kea, or white-tailed tropicbirds, are more commonly spotted from the main Hawaiian Islands, though you may be able to catch a glimpse of a koaʻe ʻula at the Kīlauea Point National Wildlife Refuge on Kauaʻi during breeding season from February to October.
ʻUla means red in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi. In the case of the koaʻe ʻula, it refers to the seabird's marvelous red tail feathers, which are prized by feather workers and often used in the creation of kāhili.
ʻUla is also in the name of the endemic ʻalae ʻula, a rare waterfowl with a distinctive red facial marking, and the introduced manu ʻula ʻula, or Northern cardinal.
Audio credit: Ron Overholtz, Xeno Canto (XC558994)
