The upland forest of ʻŌlaʻa, Puna, on Hawaiʻi Island, was once a place revered and considered kapu, forbidden to most. Only select kia manu, or bird catchers, and their families were granted access by the ruling chiefs of Puna. These skilled practitioners lived seasonally within the forest — entering when the ʻohiʻa lehua bloomed, signaling the return of the native honeycreepers such as the ōʻō, mamo, iʻiwi, ʻapapane, and 'ulaʻaihāwane — whose brilliant yellow and red feathers were commissioned for royal capes (ʻahuʻula) and helmets (mahiole), amongst other prized possessions.

The kia manu of ʻŌlaʻa were deeply skilled. They crafted snares and poles coated in birdlime from the sap of breadfruit and kukui, sometimes using live decoys to gently capture birds. Waiting patiently for hours beneath the canopy in stillness, many birds were plucked and released, allowed to regrow their feathers for future seasons. Their families supported the work from forest camps, sorting feathers, preparing kapa or barkcloth, and caring for the upland sanctuaries entrusted to them.

King Kamehameha fiercely protected the ʻŌlaʻa forest and its birds, ensuring these sacred materials were gathered only for ceremonial and royal use. After the kapu system was abolished in 1819, the forest became accessible to all, and bird catching continued through the 1830s, even after the demand for feathers declined. The bird catchers and their families adapted to the changing times, eventually opening their camps as shelters for travelers passing through the forest on their way to visit Kīlauea. The native and endemic forest birds of ʻŌlaʻa remained plentiful and largely untouched until about 1898, when the forest was cleared to plant sugar cane.