Experience the best of Hawaii and its beautiful birds with local experts! After working for other top birding tour operators and with conservation groups in Hawaii for years, Mandy Talpas, has designed the ultimate all-inclusive Hawaii birding tour! She is ecstatic to get you off the beaten path so you can enjoy the real Hawaii while supporting wildlife conservation initiatives and local businesses. She invites you to enjoy birding in paradise with Hawaii’s premiere local guides in search of Hawaii’s endemic forest birds, majestic seabirds, native water birds, visiting shorebirds, and introduced specialties with scrumptious meals and oceanfront accommodations.

To reach the highland forests where the native birds are found and search for pelagic birds by boat, we will have to start our days early, as we’ll want to be near our destinations close to dawn. Much of our birding will be easy walking on roads, wide trails, and comfortable boats. Most trails can be uneven, wet and can be muddy. Shoes with good grip and ankle support are recommended. You should be able to easily get in and out of a van (sometimes repeatedly), and able to walk at least two miles, where traction may not be the best and where footing is uneven, and stand for long periods of time. You should be prepared to bird in hot, humid, and cool environments while expecting some rain. Sea conditions on the pelagic trip can range from calm seas to moderately rough, so you must have decent balance, an ability to steady yourself on a moving boat, and  be able to go up and down a ladder, if you plan to take that trip. Those with balance and stability issues should bring a collapsible walking stick with a wrist loop, and those who find it difficult to stand for long periods should bring a small travel stool. If you’re uncertain as to whether this tour is a good match for your abilities, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Experience the best of Hawaii and its beautiful birds with local experts! After working for other top birding tour operators and with conservation groups in Hawaii for years, Mandy Talpas, has designed the ultimate all-inclusive Hawaii birding tour! She is ecstatic to get you off the beaten path so you can enjoy the real Hawaii while supporting wildlife conservation initiatives and local businesses. She invites you to enjoy birding in paradise with Hawaii’s premiere local guides in search of Hawaii’s endemic forest birds, majestic seabirds, native water birds, visiting shorebirds, and introduced specialties with scrumptious meals and oceanfront accommodations.

Upon arrival in Honolulu (HNL), take a shuttle, or cab, to your hotel in Waikīkī, where Mandy will have already reserved a room in your name. Check in is any time after 3pm. We will gather in the lobby at 6pm to meet new friends before our welcome dinner together.

Night in Waikīkī

This morning we start our day in Kapiʻolani Park, next to our hotel, to admire visiting Pacific Golden Plovers and Honolulu’s city bird, the beautiful White Tern. While exploring the park we are sure to encounter a myriad of introduced species among the banyan and rainbow shower trees, such as Common Myna, Red-crested Cardinal, Red-vented Bulbul, Yellow-fronted Canary, Java Sparrow, Common Waxbill, Spotted Dove, Zebra Dove, and Rose-ringed Parakeet. After breakfast we will leave the city behind and enter the rainforests of the Koʻolau Mountains in pursuit of Oʻahu’s endemic honeycreeper, the Oʻahu ʻAmakihi, before we transcend down into the valleys to search for the endangered Oʻahu ʻElepaio. While on our endemic bird adventure we will most likely encounter Whtie-rumped Shama, noisy flocks of Red-billed Leiothrix, an occasional Red-whiskered Bulbul, and chattering Warbling White-eyes.

Night in Waikīkī

Today we journey up the picturesque windward side to experience the serenity of Oʻahu’s North Shore in search of visiting shorebirds, such as the Wandering Tattler and sought-after Bristle-thighed Curlew. While cruising the coastline, famous for world class surf beaches and secluded coves with basking sea turtles, we are sure to find some flashy finches, such as the Saffron Finch and Chestnut Munia. The North Shore is also home to some of the last family farms on Oʻahu with crops of coffee, cacao, eggplant, papaya, pineapple, banana, and even scattered shrimp farms with Black-crowned Night Heron, the endemic Hawaiian Coot, Common Gallinule (endemic subspecies), and Black-necked Stilt (endemic subspecies). 

Night in Waikīkī

After breakfast we fly to Līhuʻe and discover the beauty of Kaua'i’s north shore in pursuit of impressive seabirds along Kīlauea Lighthouse NWR’s stunning coastline and more endemic water birds amongst Hanalei's historic loʻi ponds. While scanning the rugged cliffs of Kīlauea covered with Red-footed Boobies and surveying the skies for Brown Booby, spectacular tropicbirds, majestic Laysan Albatross, and soaring Great Frigatebirds, we will enjoy up close views of Hawaiʻi’s state bird, the Nene (Hawaiian Goose). We will then explore Hanalei valley’s lush important bird area for more of Hawaiʻi’s endangered water birds, such as the Hawaiian Duck.

Night in Kapaʻa

We embark on a rainforest adventure with astounding views of Waimea Canyon, the Pacific’s Grand Canyon, on our journey into Kōkeʻe State Park to find Kaua'i ‘s endemic Kaua'i ʻAmakihi, ʻApapane, ʻAnianiau, and Kaua'i ʻElepaio. Other forest birds we could encounter in Kōkeʻe include Red Junglefowl, the skulky Japanese Bush Warbler and melodious Chinese Hwamei. 

Night in Kapaʻa

On our last morning on Kaua'i we will search for the rare Greater Necklaced Laughingthrush and any of Kaua'i’s introduced specialty species we haven’t already found before we check out at 11am. After a local lunch stop, we'll have time to search for Hawaii's endemic and critically endangered Hawaiian Monk Seal and Hawaii's threatened endemic subspecies of Green Sea Turtle; before our direct flight to Kailua-Kona on the Big Island.

After breakfast we will bird Saddle Road for Short-eared Owl (endemic subspecies), Eurasian Skylark, Chukar, California Quail, Wild Turkey, Erckel’s Spurfowl, Black, and Gray francolins and more. From the high elevations of Pu`u La`au along the slopes of Mauna Kea, we will drive through Waikoloa in search of more introduced species, like Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse, African Silverbill and Red Avadavat; and make our best attempts at vagrants within reach.

Experience Hakalau aka Hawaiʻi’s honeycreeper heaven! Hakalau Forest NWR is a publicly restricted montane cloud forest refuge and is home to many of Hawaiʻi’s endangered plants, native arthropods, and endemic birds. We will search for the unique Hawaiʻi 'Alawī (creeper), the gorgeous day glow orange Hawaiʻi ʻAkepa, the stunning long billed ʻAkiapōlāʻau, the ʻIo (Hawaiian Hawk), Hawaiʻi ʻElepaio, and ʻŌmaʻo (HawaiʻiIsland’s endemic thrush) with beautiful I’iwi, Hawaiʻi ʻAmakihi, and ʻApapane all over the blossoms of ancient 'Ohi'a trees enshrouding us. We will obviously be birding our way all the way in and out of the refuge for any target species we haven't already tracked down, but today we easily be one of the highlights of tour, despite off-roading for an hour in and out of the refuge.

Night in Kona

We embark on a pelagic birding charter out of Honokohau Harbor with an experienced local captain for Black Noddy, Brown Noddy, Sooty Tern, Brown Booby, White-tailed Tropicbird, Great Frigatebird, Wedge-tailed Shearwater, Sooty Shearwater, and Bulwer’s Petrel with hopes of finding: Masked Booby, Hawaiian Petrel, Black-winged Petrel, Mottled Petrel, Juan Fernandez Petrel, White-necked Petrel, Kermadec Petrel, Newell’s Shearwater, Christmas Shearwater, Leach’s Storm Petrel, Band-rumped Storm Petrel, all three jaegar species, South Polar Skua, incidental cetacean sightings, and more! 

Night in Kona 

Today is your departure day from Kailua-Kona (KOA) on the Big Island BUT WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU EXTEND YOUR HAWAIIAN ADVENTURE WITH US!

Breakfast is at your leisure (from 6:30 -10:30am) at our ocean front hotel is included as part of your all inclusive experience with check out  at 11am. 

If Kīlauea Volcano in Volcanoes National Park is erupting like it was in 2025; we highly recommend you join our Hilo based guide, Sam, on an awesome birding adventure into the park today with a night in Hilo (ITO): VIEW OUR PACKAGES FOR MORE DETAILS