The bedroom habits of birds might not be a polite topic of conversation, but whether endangered honeycreepers mate with their relatives is critically important information for biologists.
Inbreeding often spells doom for a species, but for species like the ʻakikiki and ‘akeke’e, small population sizes give scientists concern that the birds have no other choice but to pair up with relatives.
Chris Kyriazis is a postdoctoral researcher with the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. He studies the "extinction vortex" — how species can get trapped in it, and what we can do to help them escape.
He spoke with The Conversation about recent research into Hawaiian honeycreepers.
This story aired on The Conversation on June 17, 2025. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m.
