Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 hours ago
The ‘akikiki is a Hawaiian honeycreeper that has vanished from the the island of Kaua’i, the victims of avian malaria carried by invasive mosquitos. The birds now only live in captivity, with the goal of one day being released back into a wilderness. And, strangely enough, the solution to the current mosquito problem might actually be breeding more mosquitos.
Support the show by getting an Endling pin: https://complexly.store/products/endlings-hourglass-pin
Endlings portrait illustrations are by Zoe Keller. You can find out more about her and her work here: zoekeller.com
San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance: sandiegozoowildlifealliance.org
Find out more about the National Geographic Photo Ark here: joelsartore.com
Wondering if we used AI to create graphics (or thumbnails or scripts!) for this video? Nope! Every Complexly video is lovingly, painstakingly human-made.
Follow us on socials:
Instagram: instagram.com/bizarrebeastsshow
Facebook: facebook.com/BizarreBeastsShow
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/bizarrebeastsshow.bsky.social
#BizarreBeasts #hawaii #birds
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Sources:
facebook.com/KauaiForestBirds/videos/26669503505973937
dlnr.hawaii.gov/blog/2024/07/01/nr24-80
instagram.com/p/DI4zFECTpNu/?img_index=3
birdsnotmosquitoes.org/akikiki
kauaiforestbirds.org/conservation
dlnr.hawaii.gov/blog/2025/02/14/nr25-23
kauaiforestbirds.org/meet-the-birds-2
dlnr.hawaii.gov/wildlife/files/2019/03/SWAP-2015-Akikiki-Final.pdf
kauaiforestbirds.org/akikiki
eco-narratives.com/uploads/3/1/0/9/31098595/should_some_species_be_allowed_to_die_out.pdf
smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/the-hawaiian-honeycreeper-family-tree-1257482
cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(22)01379-3
cell.com/current-biology/pdf/S0960-9822(11)01078-5.pdf
reviverestore.org/samgon/#PreparedRemarksSeptember3
mauiforestbirds.org/cultural-significance
birdsnotmosquitoes.org/cultural-connections
https://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/freepubs/pdf/LM-10-2.pdf
nps.gov/articles/mosquitoes-on-maui.htm
npca.org/articles/3583-buzz-kill
pacificrisa.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/EO-Case-Studies-Hawaiian-Birds.pdf
doi.org/10.1647/2008-059.1
sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260211073016.htm
https://dspace.lib.hawaii.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/8b60e14e-0935-4b61-8339-4107fce3ce91/content
nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/endangered-akikiki-bird-hawaii-maui-wildfires-extinction
amnh.org/explore/ology/biodiversity/going-going-gone/what-causes-extinction
datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/akikiki-oreomystis-bairdi
drpress.org/ojs/index.php/ijbls/article/view/31790/31127
fws.gov/media/species-profile-akikiki
dlnr.hawaii.gov/dofaw/kauai/plans/fencing
science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.1600029
kauaiforestbirds.org/hurricanes-fires
dlnr.hawaii.gov/wildlife/birds/akikiki
kauaiforestbirds.org/blessing-the-birds-critical-to-saving-kauais-forest-birds
kauaiforestbirds.org/releasing-mosquitoes-to-help-kauais-forest-birds
kauaiforestbirds.org/mosquito-control
birdsnotmosquitoes.org/iit
cdc.gov/mosquitoes/mosquito-control/mosquitoes-with-wolbachia.html
cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(20)31229-X
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Thumbnail image by Bow Tyler
Images:
docs.google.com/document/d/1m6ya2H-LoVLjoKLQ9v7KNvBHHTCsu3KtSdQr-nebOFY/edit?usp=sharing
The ‘akikiki is a Hawaiian honeycreeper that has vanished from the the island of Kaua’i, the victims of avian malaria carried by invasive mosquitos. The birds now only live in captivity, with the goal of one day being released back into a wilderness. And, strangely enough, the solution to the current mosquito problem might actually be breeding more mosquitos.
Support the show by getting an Endling pin: https://complexly.store/products/endlings-hourglass-pin
Endlings portrait illustrations are by Zoe Keller. You can find out more about her and her work here: zoekeller.com
San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance: sandiegozoowildlifealliance.org
Find out more about the National Geographic Photo Ark here: joelsartore.com
Wondering if we used AI to create graphics (or thumbnails or scripts!) for this video? Nope! Every Complexly video is lovingly, painstakingly human-made.
Follow us on socials:
Instagram: instagram.com/bizarrebeastsshow
Facebook: facebook.com/BizarreBeastsShow
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/bizarrebeastsshow.bsky.social
#BizarreBeasts #hawaii #birds
-----
Sources:
facebook.com/KauaiForestBirds/videos/26669503505973937
dlnr.hawaii.gov/blog/2024/07/01/nr24-80
instagram.com/p/DI4zFECTpNu/?img_index=3
birdsnotmosquitoes.org/akikiki
kauaiforestbirds.org/conservation
dlnr.hawaii.gov/blog/2025/02/14/nr25-23
kauaiforestbirds.org/meet-the-birds-2
dlnr.hawaii.gov/wildlife/files/2019/03/SWAP-2015-Akikiki-Final.pdf
kauaiforestbirds.org/akikiki
eco-narratives.com/uploads/3/1/0/9/31098595/should_some_species_be_allowed_to_die_out.pdf
smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/the-hawaiian-honeycreeper-family-tree-1257482
cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(22)01379-3
cell.com/current-biology/pdf/S0960-9822(11)01078-5.pdf
reviverestore.org/samgon/#PreparedRemarksSeptember3
mauiforestbirds.org/cultural-significance
birdsnotmosquitoes.org/cultural-connections
https://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/freepubs/pdf/LM-10-2.pdf
nps.gov/articles/mosquitoes-on-maui.htm
npca.org/articles/3583-buzz-kill
pacificrisa.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/EO-Case-Studies-Hawaiian-Birds.pdf
doi.org/10.1647/2008-059.1
sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260211073016.htm
https://dspace.lib.hawaii.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/8b60e14e-0935-4b61-8339-4107fce3ce91/content
nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/endangered-akikiki-bird-hawaii-maui-wildfires-extinction
amnh.org/explore/ology/biodiversity/going-going-gone/what-causes-extinction
datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/akikiki-oreomystis-bairdi
drpress.org/ojs/index.php/ijbls/article/view/31790/31127
fws.gov/media/species-profile-akikiki
dlnr.hawaii.gov/dofaw/kauai/plans/fencing
science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.1600029
kauaiforestbirds.org/hurricanes-fires
dlnr.hawaii.gov/wildlife/birds/akikiki
kauaiforestbirds.org/blessing-the-birds-critical-to-saving-kauais-forest-birds
kauaiforestbirds.org/releasing-mosquitoes-to-help-kauais-forest-birds
kauaiforestbirds.org/mosquito-control
birdsnotmosquitoes.org/iit
cdc.gov/mosquitoes/mosquito-control/mosquitoes-with-wolbachia.html
cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(20)31229-X
------
Thumbnail image by Bow Tyler
Images:
docs.google.com/document/d/1m6ya2H-LoVLjoKLQ9v7KNvBHHTCsu3KtSdQr-nebOFY/edit?usp=sharing
