Kaua‘i ‘Ō‘ō
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| Moho braccatus (Cassin, 1855) |
The Kaua‘i ‘Ō‘ō Moho braccatus, also known as the ‘O‘o‘a‘a, is an extinct Hawaiian honeyeater which was endemic to the island of Kauai. It was common in the subtropical forests of the island until the early twentieth century, when its decline began. Its song was last heard in 1987 and it has since been declared extinct. The causes of its extinction included the introduction of the black rat, the common pig, and mosquitoes carrying avian diseases, as well as habitat destruction.
This bird was among the smallest of the Hawaiian honeyeaters, if not the smallest species, at just over 20 cm in length, on average. It was black or very dark shiny brown in color with sparse yellow leg feathers and faint white banding on the breast and underwings. Like other honeyeaters it had a sharp, slightly decurved bill for sampling nectar. Its favored nectar sources were Lobelia species and the 'ohiʻa lehua tree, and it also ate small invertebrates and fruit. The bird was a cavity nester in the thickly forested canyons of Kauai.
[edit] References
- BirdLife International (2004). Moho braccatus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is listed as extinct
[edit] External links
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