 Its habitat exhibits a dense understory of small trees, shrubs, epiphytes, ferns, and sedges, centered between Puu Alaea, Kuhiwa Valley, Lake Waianapanapa, and upper Kīpahulu Valley, an area less than , at elevations of .As far as anyone can determine, "Pseudonestor xanthophrys" had not historically had a common name in the Hawaiian language.The name Hawaiian "kiwikiu" was developed by the Hawaiian Lexicon Committee, who was contacted by the Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project to select an appropriate name.