ʻAkohekohe ʻAkohekohe The akohekohe (Palmeria dolei) or crested honeycreeper is a species of Hawaiian honeycreeper. It is endemic to the island of Maui in Hawaii. Its natural habitat is wet forests dominated by "koa" ("Acacia koa") and "ōhia lehua" ("Metrosideros polymorpha") on the windward side of Haleakalā at elevations of . It is the largest honeycreeper on the island at in length. The adults are a glossy black with whitish feathers and stripes going down its side. The underparts are whitish black while the top has orange feathers sticking from wings. The feathers behind the eyes are a reddish color, and
Acacia koa used by ancient Hawaiians to build "waa" (dugout outrigger canoes) and "papa hee nalu" (surfboards). Only "paipo" (bodyboards), "kikoo", and "alaia" surfboards were made from koa, however; "olo", the longest surfboards, were made from the lighter and more buoyant "wiliwili" ("Erythrina sandwicensis"). The reddish wood is very similar in strength and weight to that of Black Walnut ("Juglans nigra"), with a specific gravity of 0.55, and is sought for use in wood carving and furniture. Koa is also a tonewood, often used in the construction of ukuleles, acoustic guitars, and Weissenborn-style Hawaiian steel guitars. B.C. Rich used koa on some