Loxops caeruleirostris

The akekee (Loxops caeruleirostris) or Kauai ākepa is a bird species in the family Fringillidae, where it is placed in the Hawaiian honeycreeper genus Loxops. It is endemic to the island of Kauai where it is found in small numbers in higher elevations. Because of their similar size, shape, and unusual bill, the akekee and the ākepa (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 extremely threatened and is predicted to face imminent extinction if mosquito control efforts on Kauai are not implemented.

==Description and behavior== 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 ākepa, which is usually red, canary-yellow or orange, without black, and has a horn-colored bill. The bill-tips are crossed over, though not bent as in the distantly-related crossbills (Loxia). The akekee uses its bill like scissors to cut open buds in search of insects to eat. It also feeds on the nectar of some trees. This bird builds nests primarily of twigs high up in trees, while the ākepa uses tree cavities as nest sites.