Hawaiʻi creeper is able to climb up and down trees. It uses its short, sharp beak to probe bark for insects residing underneath. If available, it will sip nectar from koa ("Acacia koa") or ōhia lehua ("Metrosideros polymorpha"). The breeding season of the Hawaii creeper lasts from April to July, during which female birds lay one to three eggs. Nests are hidden in a tree cavity or built on a high branch in either a koa ("Acacia koa") or a ōhia lehua ("Metrosideros polymorpha"). Eggs hatch after around thirteen days. The Hawaii creeper was put on the endangered species list in 1975;
Koa wilt to the Hawaiian islands. It ranges in size from 15 to greater than 50 feet with a canopy spread of 20 to 40 feet. It has a showy white flower and blooms sporadically. Mature leaves are sickle shaped. Koa wilt is typically a fatal pathogen for its host. In only a few months, a tree may lose its entire canopy and die. Trees less than fifteen years old are typically the most susceptible. Symptoms include stains in cambium, roots, and sapwood as well as chlorosis (yellowing), canopy dieback, brown and wilted leaves, oozing sap, and bark cankers. The Koa wilt