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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.

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.

Male Kalij Pheasants have glossy blue-black plumage with some white coloration on their chests and backs and long black tail feathers. They have bright red masks on their face and either black or white crest on their heads. Females have similar features, but are brown instead of black, with a smaller, brown crest on their heads.

Manu Minute: The Flashy Kalij Pheasant

Kalij pheasants take the spotlight in this brand new Manu Minute. These flashy game birds have been strutting their stuff around the Hawaiian Islands since the 1960s. With recordings from the Macaulay Library of the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, our host Patrick Hart walks through how these pheasants' breeding behavior has adapted since their arrival on our shores.

In ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, manu-o-Kū translates to “Bird of Kū.” These snow-white birds were one of the forms of Kū, the god of war.

Manu Minute: Little Lady Godiva

Want to get into bird watching, but don’t know where to start? How about the International Marketplace in Waikīkī? Today's Manu Minute was made with recordings from the Macaulay Library at the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology.

This is Pano Pau, one of the two male 'alalā that will live at the Pana'ewa Zoo in Hilo.

Manu Minute: 'Alalā Find a New Home in Hilo

We've talked about the velvety-black 'alalā before on Manu Minute. But today we have some exciting news to share! Two of these incredibly rare endemic birds — named Loli'ana and Pano Pau — now have a home at the Pana'ewa Zoo in Hilo.

'Io have two main color morphs, but are considered the same species. The dark morph 'Io are dark brown in color with slightly lighter coloration under in their tail and under their wings.

Manu Minute: The Royal ‘Io

We look to the skies in search of a sleek endemic raptor that symbolizes royalty. In this week’s Manu Minute, we learn about Hawai‘i’s only native hawk. And thanks to the Macaulay Library at the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology for bringing us its song! University of Hawai‘i at Hilo professor Patrick Hart introduces us to the ‘io.

Manu Minute: The Erckel's francolin

Today, we've got one game bird a long way from home: the Erckel's francolin. Native to Eritrea, Sudan, and Ethiopia, Hawaiʻi is one of only a handful of places you can find an Erckel's francolin outside of Africa.

The kiwikiu has an upper bill that is sharply hooked like that of a parrot (hence its English name, the Maui parrotbill). Aided by their strong neck muscles, they use this bill to shred and crush small branches and twigs in search of food.

Manu Minute: The critically-endangered kiwikiu

With barely more than a hundred remaining individuals in the wild, the endemic kiwikiu one of the rarest and most endangered birds in the world. We have their song for you on today's Manu Minute.

Koa'e kea are one of the most distinctive seabirds commonly seen on the main Hawaiian islands. Their common name, white-tailed tropicbirds, references their bright two long, streaming tail feathers. These feathers are purely ornamental — they offer no benefit to flight.

Manu Minute: The Two Tail-Feathered Koa'e Kea

We're back to seabirds today! And we've got quite the looker. The koa'e kea is one of the most distinctive birds you can spot in the main Hawaiian islands. Its English name, white-tailed tropicbird, references one of its most notable features — its two long, streaming tail feathers. And you can hear their calls on today's Manu Minute, thanks to the Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Moa look a lot like modern-day chickens. They're a bit smaller than their barnyard cousins, and male moa have a recognizable red, black, and green color pattern in their plumage.

Manu Minute: A Good Moa To You

Calling all backyard farmers! We're looking at humankind's first alarm clock: the moa, or red junglefowl. Common chickens were likely domesticated from red junglefowl in Asia over 8,000 years ago. We've got both here in Hawaiʻi! Listen to the difference in their crows, thanks to Macaulay Library at the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, on today's Manu Minute.

The ˊŪlili, or Wandering Tattler, is a shorebird that is indigenous to Hawaiˊi.

Manu Minute: The Far-Wandering Tattler

Move over, plover — there’s a new shorebird in town. Thanks to the Macaulay Library at the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, we’ve got the song of the ˊŪlili for you! These indigenous birds recently packed up for the long flight across the Pacific for their mating season, but they’ll be back in August. In today’s Manu Minute, University of Hawaii at Hilo professor Patrick Hart tells us how to keep an eye out for the ˊŪlili when they return.

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