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Manu Minute
Wednesdays
Hosted by Patrick Hart

Need a break in your day? Whether you're in your car or still in bed, Manu Minute brings you rich sounds from Hawai'i's native forests and shorelines. Each week, we feature a different Hawaiʻi bird and its unique song, and talk about its environment and conservation.

Trying to identify a bird? Call us on The Conversation's talkback line at 808-792-8217 with your name, your location and your email.

Manu Minute is a collaboration between HPR and the LOHE Bioacoustics Lab at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo. The series is hosted by Patrick Hart, the lab's principal investigator, and produced by HPR's Savannah Harriman-Pote and UH Hilo's Ann Tanimoto-Johnson.

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Latest Episodes
  • The Laysan duck has one of the smallest geographical ranges of any duck in the world.
    Nov 27, 2024
    Manu Minute: The rare Laysan duck
    Did you know that Hawaiʻi is home to one of the rarest ducks in the world? We've got its calls for you, courtesy of Xeno Canto.
  • ΄Akē΄akē are about the same size as myna birds, but they have much longer wings. Their plumage is dark brown except for a white band across the top of their broad, square tails.
    Nov 20, 2024
    Manu Minute: The mysterious 'akē'akē
    ʻAkēʻakē, or band-rumped storm petrels, are the rarest and smallest seabirds that breed in Hawaiʻi. Little is known about the ʻakēʻakē, which only come to shore under the cover of darkness.
  • The Eurasian skylark is about the length of a butter knife. Its plumage is brown, and it has
    Nov 13, 2024
    Manu Minute: The musical Eurasian skylark
    The Eurasian skylark isn't the flashiest bird to behold, but its courtship song packs a melodic punch.
  • The ring-necked pheasant is a mid-sized game bird. The feathers from the males' bright plumage are used in feather working.
    Nov 5, 2024
    Manu Minute: The ring-necked pheasant
    Take a break from the news with today's Manu Minute! We've got the call of the ring-necked pheasant, courtesy of Xeno Canto.
  • Koaʻe ʻula or red-tailed tropicbirds are about 3 ft long, with a wingspan of nearly 4 ft. They have white plumage with
    Oct 30, 2024
    Manu Minute: Koaʻe ʻula, the red-tailed tropicbird
    For today's Manu Minute, we’ll hear the calls of seabird whose long red tail feathers are prized for feather-working. Thanks to Xeno Canto for these recordings.
  • Black francolins are a little over a foot in length. Males have black heads with a brownish-colored “crown” and white patches below and behind their eyes. Females and juveniles are mostly mottled-brown in color.
    Dec 27, 2023
    Manu Minute: The black francolin
    On today's Manu Minute, we have got the scratchy calls of a common game bird. Thanks to the Macaulay Library at the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology for these recordings of black francolins.
  • Nīhoa finches have black legs and large feet, with sturdy, seed-eater bills. They are smaller than their relatives, the Laysan finches.
    Nov 29, 2023
    Manu Minute: The Nīhoa finch
    The Nīhoa finch is one of two endemic bird species that call Nīhoa Island home. About 3,000 finches live on the tiny island, which is now part of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument.
  • Maui ʻalauahio, also known as the Maui creeper, is a small insectivorous native honeycreeper. Adult males are mostly olive-green in color with bright yellow faces, throats, and underparts. The amount and “intensity” of yellow in these birds vary among individuals. Adult females have similar but duller plumage. Both sexes have small, straight bills.
    Oct 18, 2023
    Manu Minute: The little Maui creeper
    Although endangered, there are still a few good spots to catch sight of the Maui ʻalauahio.
  • Rock pigeons, also called rock doves, measure about 12 inches from beak to tail. Their plumage varies widely in coloration, often with patches of iridescent blue, green, or purple near their necks.
    Oct 11, 2023
    Manu Minute: The courting rock pigeon
    For today's Manu Minute, we've got the mating song of the rock pigeon, which was introduced to Hawaiʻi over 200 years ago. Thanks to the Macaulay Library at the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology for these recordings.
  • ΄Ō΄ū were a stout Hawaiian honeycreeper with a thick, parrot-like bill. This photo was taken on Kauaʻi in 1975. The last confirmed sighting of an ʻōʻū was
    Oct 4, 2023
    Manu Minute: The long-lost ʻōʻū
    ʻŌʻu were once common honeycreepers across all the main Hawaiian Islands, but the last confirmed sighting of an ʻōʻū was on Kauaʻi in 1989. This species is now presumed to be extinct. Listen to the song of this long-lost bird on today's Manu Minute, thanks to recordings from the Macaulay Library at the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology.
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