The
Kolea are very soclable and vocal birds, however
when they feed, they like to be alone. Kolea
feed on insects, land invertebrates, freshwater
crustaceans, berries, leaves, and seeds. They
have been observed pecking in grassy areas
looking for earthworms, insects, millipedes, and
slugs. The Kolea runs in short stop and go
bursts, looking for food. Some scientists think
that the Kolea keep seeds in their digestive
tracks and carry them on their flight. It is not
known if the Kolea feeds at night.
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Kolea
catch their prey, or food with single pecks, or
a series of many pecks. When feeding on lawns in
Hawaii, their pecking makes shallow holes in the
ground. The Kolea's beak and part of its head is
buried in the lawn. There they find earthworms
which are usually swallowed whole. Large
cockroachs and millipedes are broken up and
swallowed piece by piece. They sometimes peck
leaves at their eye level, and may chase small
spiders or insects, like mosquitoes.
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