The Hawaii akepa is a small, sexually dichromatic Hawaiian honeycreeper endemic to Hawaii Island. The Hawaii akepa male is bright red-orange, while the Maui male is dull bronze-yellow. The female akepa has a greenish top & yellow belly. This species has a short conical bill which is generally pale yellow in color (USFWS 2006), a long, notched tail, is usually four to five inches in length, and its weight varies from 10 to 12 grams (0.34 to 0.41 ounces). The male adult plumage is not obtained until the molt preceding the 4th year. Males have a female-like subadult plumage (without breast-band) during their 2nd year & a male-like subadult plumage during their 3rd year (Lepson and Freed 1995). Tagged females in the wild have lived for at least 10 years. The Hawaii akepa is also known as akakane, and the Mauia kepa as akepeuie.