Vestiaria coccinea, or 'i'iwi, is another genus of honeycreeper. Its bill is red in color and distinctively curved. This photo presents a dramatic illustration of co-evolution between plants and animals, the evolutionary changes of one organism which effect the evolutionary changes in the another. Clearly the curved bill of the 'i'iwi and the shape of the native lobelioid flower (Trematolobelia species) on which it perches and gets nectar from are related, as well as their matching red-pink colorations. The bill shape allows easy retrieval of nectar and the coloration is protective. 'I'iwi are found on all the main islands in mesic and wet forest, montane bog, and alpine shrubland environments. Photo by Dave Boynton.

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