The threatened i’iwi, also known as the scarlet Hawaiian honeycreeper, is among the most common native land birds of Hawaii. However, its numbers are decreasing. Vestiaria coccinea is under threat from habitat destruction and climate change, as well as the proliferation of disease. Recently, the U.S. [skipwords]Fish[/skipwords] and Wildlife Service issued an initial decision to place the i’iwi under federal protection. According to Noah Greenwald, director of the Center for Biological Diversity’s endangered species program, at least 20 types of Hawaiian honeycreepers have already gone extinct. “To have any chance at avoiding that fate, the beautiful i‘iwi needs protection now,” he said in a statement.