The small, five-inch-long bird lived only in eastern Maui, where it was dependent on high-elevation mesic and wet forests of ʻōhiʻa lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha) and koa (Acacia koa).

[2] The males were colored green on the nape and head, and yellow on its face, neck, belly, and bottom.

The females were completely olive green and were quieter than their male counterparts.

[citation needed] Any surviving population would be under continuous pressure from habitat loss, habitat degradation by introduced ungulates, and avian malaria carried by introduced mosquitoes.

In 2021, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service declared that the species was most likely extinct, noting that extensive surveys for the bird had yielded no definite sightings and had only found Amakihi.