Hawaiian honeycreeper
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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 Maui Parrotbill, Pseudonestor xanthophrys
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Drepaniidae |
Hawaiian honeycreepers are small passerine birds endemic to Hawaiʻi. Some authorities categorize this group as the subfamily Drepanidinae of the finch family Fringillidae, to which they are closely related, but they are usually given full family status as the Drepanididae.
The family is divided into three tribes[citation needed]:
- Psittirostrini (Hawaiian finches), seedeaters with thick finch-like bills and songs like those of cardueline finches.
- Hemignathini (Hawaiian creepers and allies, including nukupuʻus). These are generally green-plumaged birds with thin bills which feed on nectar and insects
- Drepanidini (Mamos, ‘I‘iwi and allies). These are birds often with red plumage. They are nectar-feeders and their songs contain nasal squeaks and whistles.
Some unusual forms never seen alive by scientists, such as Xestospiza or Vangulifer, cannot easily be placed into any group.
The male Hawaiian Honeycreepers are often more brightly coloured than the females, but in the Hemignathini, they often look very similar. The flowers of the native plant Metrosideros polymorpha (‘ohi‘a lehua) are favoured by a number of nectar-eating honeycreepers.
The wide range of bills in this group, from thick finch-like bills to slender downcurved bills for probing flowers have arisen through adaptive radiation, where an ancestral finch has evolved to fill a large number of ecological niches. Some 15 forms of Hawaiian Honeycreeper have become extinct in the recent past, many more since the arrival of the Polynesians who introduced the first rats. The recent extinctions are due to the introduction of other rodent species and the mongoose, habitat destruction and avian malaria and fowlpox.
[edit] Genera and species
The term "prehistoric" indicates species that went extinct after the initial human settlement of Hawai‘i (i.e., from the late 1st millennium AD on) and European contact in 1778.
FAMILY DREPANIDIDAE
- Genus Telespiza - finch-like, granivores, opportunistic scavengers
- Nihoa Finch, Telespiza ultima
- Laysan Finch, Telespiza cantans
- Kaua‘i Finch, Telespiza persecutrix - prehistoric
- Maui Nui Finch, Telespiza ypsilon - prehistoric
- Genus Psittirostra - slightly hooked bill, ‘ie‘ie fruit specialist
- Genus Dysmorodrepanis - pincer-like bill, possibly snail specialist
- Genus Loxioides - finch-like, mamane seed specialist (L. bailleui)
- Palila, Loxioides bailleui
- Kauaʻi Palila, Loxioides kikuichi - prehistoric; possibly survived to the early 18th century
- Genus Rhodacanthis - finch-like, koa seed specialists
- Lesser Koa Finch, Rhodacanthis flaviceps - extinct (1891)
- Greater Koa Finch, Rhodacanthis palmeri - extinct (1896)
- Scissor-billed Koa Finch, Rhodacanthis forfex - prehistoric
- Primitive Koa Finch, Rhodacanthis litotes - prehistoric
- Genus Chloridops - thick-billed, naio and other hard seed specialist
- Kona Grosbeak Finch, Chloridops kona - extinct (1894)
- O‘ahu Grosbeak Finch, Chloridops wahi - prehistoric
- Giant ("King Kong") Grosbeak Finch, Chloridops regiskongi - prehistoric
- Genus Orthiospiza - large weak bill, possibly soft seed or fruit specialist?
- Highland Finch, Orthiospiza howarthi - prehistoric
- Genus Xestospiza - cone-shaped bills, possibly insectivores
- Cone-billed Finch, Xestospiza conica - prehistoric
- Ridge-billed Finch, Xestospiza fastigialis - prehistoric
- Genus Pseudonestor - parrot-like bill, probes rotting wood for insect larvae
- Maui Parrotbill, Pseudonestor xanthophrys
- Genus Hemignathus - pointed or long and downcurved bills, insectivores or nectarivores
- Hawai‘i ‘Amakihi, Hemignathus virens
- O‘ahu ‘Amakihi, Hemignathus flavus
- Kaua‘i ‘Amakihi, Hemignathus kauaiensis
- Nukupu‘u, Hemignathus lucidus - possibly extinct (c.2000?)
- Greater ‘Amakihi, Hemignathus sagittirostris - extinct (1901)
- Giant ‘Amakihi, Hemignathus vorpalis - prehistoric
- (Sub)Genus Magumma
- ‘Anianiau, Hemignathus parvus or Magumma parva
- (Sub)Genus Akialoa
- Hawai‘i ‘Akialoa, Hemignathus obscurus or Akialoa obscura - extinct (1940)
- Maui Nui ‘Akialoa, Hemignathus lanaiensis or Akialoa lanaiensis - extinct (1892)
- O‘ahu ‘Akialoa, Hemignathus ellisianus or Akialoa ellisiana - extinct (1940)
- Kaua‘i ‘Akialoa, Hemignathus stejnegeri or Akialoa stejnegeri - extinct (1969)
- Hoopoe-billed ‘Akialoa, Hemignathus upupirostris or Akialoa upupirostris - prehistoric
- (Sub)Genus Heterorhynchus
- ‘Akiapola‘au, Hemignathus munroi or Heterorhynchus wilsoni
- Genus Oreomystis - short pointed bills, browsers
- ‘Akikiki, Oreomystis bairdi
- Hawai‘i "Creeper", Oreomystis mana
- Genus Paroreomyza - similar to Oreomystis
- Genus Vangulifer - flat rounded bills, possibly caught flying insects
- Strange-billed Finch, Vangulifer mirandus - prehistoric
- Thin-billed Finch, Vangulifer neophasis - prehistoric
- Genus Aidemedia - straight thin bills, insectivores
- O‘ahu Icterid-like Gaper, Aidemedia chascax - prehistoric
- Sickle-billed Gaper, Aidemedia zanclops - prehistoric
- Maui Nui Icterid-like Gaper, Aidemedia lutetiae - prehistoric
- Genus Loxops - small pointed bills with the tips offset a little horizontally, insectivores
- Genus Ciridops - finch-like, fed on loulu fruits etc.
- ‘Ula-‘ai-Hawane, Ciridops anna - extinct (1892 or 1937)
- Stout-legged Finch, Ciridops tenax - prehistoric
- Genus Vestiaria - downcurved bill, nectarivore
- ‘I‘iwi, Vestiaria coccinea
- Genus Drepanis - downcurved bills, nectarivores
- Genus Palmeria - thin bill, nectarivore, especially ʻOhiʻa
- ‘Akohekohe, Palmeria dolei
- Genus Himatione - thin bill, nectarivore
- Genus Melamprosops - short pointed bill, browser and snail specialist
- Po‘o-uli, Melamprosops phaeosoma - probably extinct (November 28, 2004?)
Several other prehistoric forms are undescribed, as they are known only from very fragmentary fossil remains insufficient to deterine taxonomic affiliation. These include one taxon from O‘ahu, at least 3 from Maui, and possibly 2 enigmatic passerines from Kaua‘i which may or may not be drepanidids.
[edit] External links
- Hawaiian Honeycreeper videos on the Internet Bird Collection
