The Papahānaumokuākea Native Hawaiian Cultural Working Group, convened by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, decided to give this species two names, hinaokū and manuohina, as both reflect the birds’ relationships to its environment, its identity, its physical features, and its habits. Since the bird is a close relative of the manu o kū, the names also reflect a “hina” balance to kū, a reference to duality common amongst Hawaiian perspectives. Hinaokū means “Hina of Kū” and refers to the ‘āhinahina color (gray) whereas the kū portion of the name maintains the idea that this particular bird continues to forage in a “kū” form (similar to manu o kū), by surface-dipping and hover-dipping. Manuohina translates to the bird of Hina.
