'Elepaio

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The ‘Elepaio (Chasiempis sandwichensis) is a monarch flycatcher endemic to Hawaii. and the only species of its genus. It inhabits Big Island, O‘ahu and Kaua‘i in no less than 5 different subspecies. Being one of the most adaptable native birds of the archipelago, no subspecies have yet become extinct, though two have become quite rare nowadays.
The ‘elepaio is the first native bird to sing in the morning and the last to stop singing at night; apart from whistled and chattering contact and alarm calls, it is probably best known for its song, from which derives the common name: a pleasant and rather loud warble which sounds like e-le-PAI-o or ele-PAI-o. It nests between January and June.

[edit] Cultural significance

In Hawaiian tradition, the ‘elepaio was among the most celebrated of the birds (Kanahele, 1996: 29; Soehren, 1996: 1). It is associated with a number of significant roles in culture and mythology. Chiefly, it helped canoe-builders to select the right koa tree to use for their canoe. The ‘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 (VanderWerf, 1994) - which incidentially made it even more conspicuous. It followed the canoe builders through the 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 insects 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 andient Hawaiian proverb, ‘Uā ‘elepaio ‘ia ka wa‘a ("The canoe is marked out by the ‘elepaio"). In addition, the bird was well-liked for another reason - it was good to eat, and not subject to kapu restrictions. Due to its insectivorous habit, farmers believed the ‘elepaio to be the incarnation of Lea's sister goddess, Hina-puku-‘ai, who protected food plants and was a patron of agriculture. As the bird was just as useful - perhaps even more useful - to humans alive as it was as food, overhunting of populations, while theoretically permissible under the kapu laws, did not usually occur. Additionally, although deforestation for agriculture destroyed some habitat, the ‘elepaio managed to adapt well to the initial settlement. Thus, its population was large enough to withstand the additional pressures that came about with Western colonization of the islands.

[edit] References

  • Conant, S. (1977): The breeding biology of the Oahu ‘Elepaio. Wilson Bull. 89(2): 193-210. PDF fulltext
  • Kanahele, George S. (1996): Waikiki 100 B.C. to 1900 A.D. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press.
  • James, Helen F. & Olson, Storrs L. (1991): Descriptions of Thirty-Two New Species of Birds from the Hawaiian Islands: Part II. Passeriformes. Ornithological Monographs 46. PDF fulltext
  • Pratt, H. D. (1980): Intra-island Variation in the 'Elepaio on the Island of Hawai‘i. Condor 82(4): 449-458. PDF fulltext
  • Soehren, Rick (1996): The Birdwatcher's Guide to Hawai‘i. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press.
  • VanderWerf, Eric A. (1994): Intraspecific variation in foraging behavior of Elepaio in Hawaiian forests of different structure. Auk 111(4): 917–932. PDF fulltext
  • VanderWerf, Eric A. (2001): Two-Year Delay in Plumage Maturation of Male and Female ‘Elepaio. Condor 103(4): 756-766. DOI:10.1650/0010-5422(2001)103[0756:TYDIPM]2.0.CO;2 HTML abstract
  • VanderWerf, Eric A. & Freed, Leonard A. (2003): ‘Elepaio subadult plumages reduce aggression through graded status-signaling, not mimicry. Journal of Field Ornithology 74(4): 406–415. DOI:10.1648/0273-8570(2003)074[0406:ESPRAT]2.0.CO;2 HTML abstract
  • VanderWerf, Eric A.; Rohrer, Joby L.; Smith, David G. & Burt, Matthew D. (2001): Current distribution and abundance of the O‘ahu ‘Elepaio. Wilson Bull. 113(1): 10-16. DOI:10.1676/0043-5643(2001)113[0010:CDAAOT]2.0.CO;2 HTML abstract
  • van Riper Charles III (1995): Ecology and breeding biology of the Hawaii elepaio (Chasiempis sandwichensis bryani). Condor 97(2): 512-527. PDF fulltext

[edit] External links

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