Puaiohi
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| Myadestes palmeri (Rothschild, 1893) |
The Puaiohi or Small Kauai Thrush, Myadestes palmeri, is a small, dark solitaire endemic to Kauai in the Hawaiian Islands. It is also known as the Palmer's thrush. The Puaiohi grows up to 7 inches in length. The male and female of the species look similar. The Puaiohi is dark brown above and gray below with pinkish legs. At close range, one can observe a pale eye ring and a dark malar streak. An immature Puaiohi looks similar to an adult above, and is is heavily scallopped brown-on-beige on the breast and parts of the underside.
The song of the Puaiohi is a slurred, whistled trill with upward inflection at the end. The call is a harsh "sher," delivered in short bursts. This bird prefers densely vegetated gulches, frequenting the understory where it often perches motionless in a hunched posture. Like other native Hawaiian thrushes, it quivers its wings and feeds primarily on fruits and insects. Two to three pale greenish-blue eggs with reddish-brown splotches are laid in nests usually placed on mossy cliffs.
This bird is classified as Critically Endangered due to having a small population in an extremely small range. The current population is estimated at between 200 and 300 individuals located in the Alakaʻi Wilderness Area abouve 3,500 feet. The Puaiohi is, however, making a comeback from the brink of extinction. A captive breeding program has been very successful lately, and the Puaiohi may be even more common now than when it was discovered. Breeding facilities that breed the Puaiohi are located in Olinda on the island of Maui, and on the island of Hawaii. Birds released into the wild from this breeding program have nested almost immediately after their release.
[edit] References
- BirdLife International (2004). Myadestes palmeri. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is critically endangered
- (2005). Hawaii's Birds. Hawaii Audubon Society. Sixth ed.
