KnowKi

Key Places for biodiversity

Learn the wildlife of Hawaii

United States

Hawaii is one of E.O. Wilson's Key Places, irreplaceable for life on Earth. 7,700 species have research-grade observations there on iNaturalist, and KnowKi turns the most recorded into short lessons with real photos.

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Āki the kiwi, KnowKi's guide

Most recorded here

The species with the most research-grade observations on iNaturalist, and how many each has. Most recorded doesn't mean native.

Birds

  1. Red-crested Cardinal Paroaria coronata9,917
  2. Zebra Dove Geopelia striata9,456
  3. Common Myna Acridotheres tristis8,357
  4. Pacific Golden-Plover Pluvialis fulva7,630
  5. Western Cattle-Egret Ardea ibis6,787
  6. Red Junglefowl Gallus gallus6,471
  7. Hawaiian Goose Branta sandvicensis5,562
  8. Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax5,229
  9. Saffron Finch Sicalis flaveola4,796
  10. House Sparrow Passer domesticus4,118

Plants

  1. ʻŌhiʻa Lehua Metrosideros polymorpha9,703
  2. Beach naupaka Scaevola taccada5,115
  3. White leadtree Leucaena leucocephala4,310
  4. Pūkiawe Leptecophylla tameiameiae4,172
  5. False staghorn fern Dicranopteris linearis3,989
  6. Thatch screwpine Pandanus tectorius3,516
  7. Noni Morinda citrifolia3,340
  8. Beach Sheoak Casuarina equisetifolia3,072
  9. Koster's curse Miconia crenata3,035
  10. Yellow ʻilima Sida fallax2,935

Mammals

  1. Hawaiian Monk Seal Neomonachus schauinslandi3,399
  2. Small Indian Mongoose Urva auropunctata2,963
  3. Humpback Whale Megaptera novaeangliae1,268
  4. Domestic Cat Felis catus1,128
  5. Spinner Dolphin Stenella longirostris1,014
  6. Domestic Goat Capra hircus825
  7. Wild Boar Sus scrofa695

Insects

  1. Gulf Fritillary Dione vanillae2,026
  2. Western Honey Bee Apis mellifera2,020
  3. Monarch Danaus plexippus1,889
  4. Black Witch Ascalapha odorata1,553
  5. Valley Carpenter Bee Xylocopa sonorina890
  6. Giant Asian Mantis Hierodula patellifera815
  7. Lesser Grass Blue Zizina otis678
  8. Ashy Gray Lady Beetle Olla v-nigrum668
  9. American Cockroach Periplaneta americana631
  10. Yellow Crazy Ant Anoplolepis gracilipes607

Spiders and kin

  1. Hawaiian Garden Spider Argiope appensa4,283
  2. Asian Spinybacked Orbweaver Thelacantha brevispina1,615
  3. Pantropical Huntsman Spider Heteropoda venatoria638
  4. Spinybacked Orbweaver Gasteracantha cancriformis438
  5. Banded Garden Spider Argiope trifasciata333

Reptiles

  1. Gold Dust Day Gecko Phelsuma laticauda11,595
  2. Green Sea Turtle Chelonia mydas11,349
  3. Brown Anole Anolis sagrei8,440
  4. Mourning Gecko Lepidodactylus lugubris2,415
  5. Green Anole Anolis carolinensis2,280
  6. Asian House Gecko Hemidactylus frenatus1,187
  7. Jackson's Chameleon Trioceros jacksonii1,101
  8. Dark-flecked Garden Sunskink Lampropholis delicata693

Amphibians

  1. Cane Toad Rhinella marina2,744
  2. Common Coqui Eleutherodactylus coqui1,004
  3. Greenhouse Frog Eleutherodactylus planirostris548
  4. American Bullfrog Lithobates catesbeianus335

Fish

  1. Hawaiian Convict Surgeonfish Acanthurus sandvicensis3,567
  2. Moorish Idol Zanclus cornutus2,599
  3. Saddle Wrasse Thalassoma duperrey2,550
  4. Yellow Tang Zebrasoma flavescens2,479
  5. Wedgetail Triggerfish Rhinecanthus rectangulus2,155
  6. Dusky Surgeonfish Acanthurus nigrofuscus2,154
  7. Pacific Orange-spine Unicornfish Naso lituratus2,102
  8. Blackspot Sergeant Abudefduf sordidus2,099
  9. Spotted Boxfish Ostracion meleagris2,067
  10. Hawaiian Spotted Toby Canthigaster jactator1,943

Mollusks

  1. African Giant Snail Lissachatina fulica4,583
  2. Hawaiian Black Nerite Nerita picea1,437
  3. Hawaiian Snakehead Cowrie Monetaria caputophidii1,148
  4. Dotted Periwinkle Littoraria pintado1,131
  5. Day Octopus Octopus cyanea874
  6. Imperial Nudibranch Hypselodoris imperialis729
  7. Humpback Cowrie Mauritia mauritiana688
  8. Gold Lace Nudibranch Halgerda terramtuentis667
  9. Tropical Leatherleaf Slug Laevicaulis alte655
  10. Cuban Leaf Slug Veronicella cubensis644

How a trip works

A trip has its own trail of lessons: meet six species, match them to new photos, then practice with four choices. Species you learn go into your Fieldbook, and starting a trip earns its Passport stamp. Your home place stays as it is.

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Species lists and counts from research-grade observations on iNaturalist, as of October 2026. KnowKi is not affiliated with the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation. Free, with no ads, no account and no purchases.