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The article reports on the growing concern regarding the survival of the palila bird due to habitat construction caused invasive sheep species in the Mauna Kea volcano region in Hawaii. Forests on the slopes of the volcano have been denuded by the domestic sheep, ovis aries, and the European mouflon sheep, O. gmelini musimon. The finch billed species of bird has been considered endangered since 1967.

The article discusses a research conducted by U.S. Geological Survey biologists which examines the increasing decline in palila's population. Palila exemplify the special vulnerability of many other Hawaiian birds to extinction. Palila have specialized feeding requirements with unusual bill shapes and sizes and low reproductive capacity. Among the larger Hawaiian islands, palila are the sole surviving species of an extraordinary guild of about 21 species of Hawaiian honeycreepers that specialized on seeds or small fruits. Food specialization may have contributed to the vulnerability of bird species to introduced predators and habitat stressors.