ʻElepaio Patch

The ‘elepaio is a curious little bird that is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. Historically, canoe makers depended on ‘elepaio to select trees with which to build. If an ‘elepaio foraged around a fallen tree, this indicated a high insect population and thus deemed the tree unfit for a canoe. This gave rise to the ancient Hawaiian saying, ʻUā ʻelepaio ʻia ka waʻa ("The canoe is marked out by the ʻelepaio"). Today, ‘elepaio are threatened by invasive rats that prey upon their nests. Conservationists on O’ahu, Kaua’i, and the Big Island are working to protect ‘elepaio from such predators. 

10% of proceeds supports Native Hawaiian flora and fauna conservation.

2.5"x2.5" iron-on patch