Editing ʻElepaio (section)

==Cultural significance==
In [[Hawaiian mythology|Hawaiian tradition]], the {{okina}}elepaio was among the most celebrated of the birds.<ref name=Kanahele/><ref name=Soehren/> It is associated with a number of significant roles in culture and mythology. Chiefly, it helped ''kālai wa{{okina}}a'' (canoe-builders) to select the right ''[[Acacia koa|koa]]'' tree to use for their ''wa{{okina}}a'' ([[canoe]]). The {{okina}}elepaio is a bold and curious little bird, and thus it was attracted to humans whom it found working in its habitat, and it quickly learned to exploit feeding opportunities created by human activity, altering its behavior accordingly<ref name=VanderWerf1994/> – which incidentally made it even more conspicuous.

For example, it followed canoe builders through dense vegetation, watching them as they searched for suitable trees. They considered it their guardian spirit, an [[incarnation]] of their patron goddess Lea, because if the bird pecked at a fallen tree, it was a sign that the tree was riddled with burrowing [[insect]]s and thus not good anymore, but when the bird showed no interest in a tree, it indicated that the wood was suitable. This is the origin of the ancient Hawaiian proverb, ''{{okina}}Uā {{okina}}elepaio {{okina}}ia ka wa{{okina}}a'' ("The canoe is marked out by the {{okina}}elepaio"). Due to its [[Insectivore|insectivorous]] habit, farmers believed the {{okina}}elepaio to be the incarnation of Lea's sister goddess, Hina-puku-{{okina}}ai, who protected food plants and was a patron of agriculture.