2023 was a fantastic revival of the Hawai‘i Island Festival of Birds!
A huge thank you to everyone who helped make the 2023 Hawai‘i Island Festival of Birds a big success. Hundreds of people from all over flocked to the Grand Naniloa Hotel Hilo to honor the precious native biodiversity in our islands. Working in conservation is difficult – you face a lot of uphill battles, challenges, and dire situations. It’s important that we keep celebrating what we hold dear and maintain this momentum to prevent any further loss of Hawaiian birds. We hope this festival has energized our peers on the frontlines fighting extinction to keep up their fight, Hālau to keep telling the stories of nā manu o Hawai‘i, artists to keep including imagery of native birds in their craft, and everyone who cares about Hawai‘i to get involved in some way. The 2023 festival may be pau, but this is only the beginning.
The 2023 program schedule is preserved below, for informational purposes. See you in 2024!
9:00am: Registration opens at Bird Fair for presale ticket pickup and at-the-door ticket sales. Doors open for Bird Fair in the Hoʻomalimali and Sandalwood Rooms.
Bird Fair Vendors and Exhibitors
| Hawaiʻi Wildlife Center | Conservation Council for Hawaiʻi | ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center – Special Dark Skies & Seabirds Game | Kahua ‘Āina | Laulima | Nā Ala Hele | Friends of Hakalau Forest NWR | ʻApapane Pottery | Patrick Ching | Hawaiʻi Pacific Parks Association | Little Outcrop | American Bird Conservancy/Birds not Mosquitoes Project | Mountain House Stained Glass | Hawaiʻi Audubon Society | Tommy Adkins Photography | Friends of Midway Atoll | Nā Koa Manu Conservation/Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project | ʻAlalā Project | Kauaʻi Forest Bird Recovery Project | Hawaiʻi DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife | Wandering Finch | Nene Conservation and Research | University of Hawaiʻi Cooperative Extension Rapid Ohia Death Program | Margaret Barnaby | Tropical Funk | Esther Szegedy | ʻĀina Hoʻōla Initiative |
Birding Trip Sign-ups: there will be a few free Sunday 10/22 guided birding trips that you can sign up for at the Bird Fair. Space is limited and sign-ups are on a first-come-first-serve basis. Sign-up sheets will be in the Hoʻomalimali Room, next to the water station.
- Kaulana Manu trail (target: forest birds)
- Wailoa and Lokowaka Hilo (target: shorebirds and waterbirds)
- Pelagic Kona (target: seabirds)
10:00am: Hōʻike begins in Crown Room
– 10:00am – 10:20am Opening and Hula Presentation
o Opening Protocol and Welcome by ʻĀhuimanu
o Unulau presenting Kū Ē Ka ʻOliʻoli Nā Manu
– 10:20am – 10:30am Bird Trivia
– 10:30am – 11:15am Guest Speakers
o Noah Gomes presenting on the Pilina Project – Manu, People, and Hawai‘i
o Dr. Michelle Reynolds presenting on using detection dogs to find endangered seabirds
o Bret Mossman presenting on ‘Ua‘u (Hawaiian Petrel) on Kohala Mountain
– 11:15am – 11:30am Bird Trivia
– 11:30am – 12:00pm Hula Presentations
o ʻAlohi Polynesian Dance Academy presenting Nā Manu o Kanaloa
o Hula Hālau O Manaʻolana O Kohala presenting Manu Oʻo Aʻa
o Raffle drawing
– 12:00pm – 1:00pm LUNCH BREAK
– 1:00pm – 1:30pm Hula Presentations
o Na Kupuna o Kohala presenting Ka Haka Manu and Manu Oʻo
o Hālau Nāwehiokaipoaloha presenting Koa‘e
– 1:30pm – 1:35pm Fast Kine Bird Trivia
– 1:35pm– 2:20pm Panel on Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge
o Panelists: Jack Jeffrey, Dr. Rick Camp, Dr. Katherine McClure. Moderator: Dr. J. B. Friday
– 2:30pm– 3:00pm Presentations by Festival Partners
o Hawai‘i Wildlife Center presenting on native bird hospital care and rehabilitation
o Conservation Council for Hawai‘i presenting on their conservation work
– 3:00pm – 3:45pm Guest Speakers
o ʻĀhuimanu presenting Kani Kua Mauna
o Birds Not Mosquitoes presenting on efforts to save Hawaiian forest birds
– 3:45– 4:00pm – Short Break, Silent Auction pau (done) at 4pm
– 4:00– 5:00pm Bird Brain Trivia, wrap-up, final raffle drawing. Last chance to show off your bird smarts and win prizes!
5:00 pm: Hōʻike pau!
6:00 pm: Bird Fair closes. Finish up your shopping and make sure you used your Birdie Bucks!