 Because of their similar size, shape, and unusual bill, the akekee and the akepa ("Loxops coccineus") were for some time classified as a single species.This was eventually changed, because of differences in their color, nesting behavior, and calls.The akekee is a greenish-yellow bird with a black mask around the eye (especially prominent in the male) and a bluish bill, unlike the "akepa", which is usually red, canary-yellow or orange, without black, and has a horn-colored bill.