IUCN threat status:  Vulnerable (VU)  Brief Summary  Read full
entry   Elepaio are very versatile foragers, and search in every
part of the forest for their preferred food: insects and spiders
(3). They also use a wide variety of feeding methods to obtain
their prey, including gleaning (plucking prey from the foliage
or ground), and hawking (chasing after a target and catching it
in its beak). They can use their feet to hold down large insects
whilst they tear off the wings with their bill; and have even
been observed holding large caterpillars in their bill and
beating them against a branch (2). The elepaio's fondness for
insects has made them the guardian spirit of canoe makers, as
their presence on a tree would indicate a large insect
population and therefore its unsuitability for use as a canoe
(3). Elepaio are monogamous birds that remain together all year
and often mate for life (2). Together, they maintain a territory
that encompasses their nest site and food resources (6). The
breeding season extends