Hummingbirds in Hawaii: The Full Story

Q: What fills the hummingbird niche in Hawaii?

Native honeycreepers — ʻiʻiwi, ʻapapane, and relatives — evolved to sip nectar from ʻōhiʻa blossoms, filling the ecological role hummingbirds play on the mainland.

Q: Why are hummingbirds prohibited in Hawaii?

Pineapple. Hummingbirds pollinate pineapple flowers, and pollinated pineapples set seeds — which makes the fruit gritty and unsellable. The prohibition predates statehood and also protects native nectar-feeding birds from competition.

The one state with no hummingbirds at all — and a better story than most states with them.

A nectar niche without hummingbirds

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Every mainland state hosts hummingbirds for at least part of the year — Hawaii hosts none, on purpose. The birds are prohibited to protect pineapple agriculture (pollinated pineapples set gritty seeds) and to shield native honeycreepers, which already own the islands’ nectar economy.

Hawaii has no hummingbirds — they're actually prohibited to protect pineapple agriculture and native ecosystems. The nectar niche belongs to native honeycreepers like the ʻiʻiwi.

Common questions

Hawaii hummingbird FAQ

Are there hummingbirds in Hawaii?

What fills the hummingbird niche in Hawaii?

Why are hummingbirds prohibited in Hawaii?

Trumpet creeper blossoms — tubular flowers shaped for hummingbird bills — Tubular flowers like trumpet creeper co-evolved with hummingbird bills — plant one this fall and next season’s birds will find it.

Keep planning

The rest of your backyard season

Hawaii fall foliagePeak color December 1–January 15 — right as the birds head south.Hawaii first frostWhen the garden season ends.Hawaii mosquito forecastWhat else is flying in your yard — and when it finally stops.

More West hummingbird timing

Windows compiled from Journey North citizen-science records, eBird seasonal abundance, and Audubon/USFWS range data; individual years shift ±1–2 weeks with weather. National picture: where the birds are right now →