KEKAHA, Kaua'i — The tiny Kaua'i creeper, a rare four-inch-tall bird, is still trying to get on the endangered species list as its numbers have dwindled to 1,500 worldwide.

The Kaua'i creeper, also called the 'akikiki, is threatened by habitat loss, avian disease and nonnative mammals. It's found only on Kaua'i, and it has been listed as a top candidate for the endangered species list since 1994, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Getting on the endangered species list would provide more money for scientists to study the warbler-like bird and implement recovery plans.

"Money is our main limiting factor in all of this," said Dave Leonard, a biologist for the state Division of Forestry and Wildlife.

The Kaua'i creeper is limited to about 14 square miles on the eastern part of the Alaka'i Swamp. Diseases such as avian pox and malaria have hit the Kaua'i creeper hard because it has not evolved ways to resist them, Leonard said.