Giant ʻAmakihi
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| Giant ʻAmakihi | ||||||||||||||
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Prehistoric
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| Hemignathus vorpalis James & Olson, 2003 |
The Giant ʻAmakihi (Hemignathus vorpalis), sometimes fancifully (and incorrectly) referred to as "Oval-billed Nukupuʻu", is an extinct species of finch in the Fringillidae family, which only is known from fossil remains. It was endemic to Hawai'i. Its extinction is believed to have occurred within the last 3000 years, but exact timing and reasons remain unclear. It was larger and with a different bill morphology than the remaining members of the genus Hemignathus.
[edit] References
- James, Helen F., & Olson, Storrs L. (2003). A giant new species of nukupuu (Fringillidae: Drepanidini: Hemignathus) from the island of Hawaii. The Auk. 120(4): 970-981.
