Hawaiian Honeycreeper, Vestiaria coccinea (Forster), Feeding on Lobeliad Flowers, Clermontia arborescens (Mann) Hillebr

Field observations have shown that the Iiwi (Vestiaria coccinea) feeds upon the flowers of the lobeliad (Clermontia arborescens). The unique feeding posture assumed by the bird and the nicety of "fit" between the bird's decurved beak and the decurved flowers suggest coadaptation between animal and plant. This coadaptation would appear to be widespread between various species of the Hawaiian honeycreepers and the unique flowers of the Hawaiian lobeliads. These observations further support the thesis of Perkins and others that the honeycreepers serve as prime pollinators of the Hawaiian lobeliads.