Maui Nukupuʻu

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Maui Nukupu'u

Nukupu'u
Hemignathus lucides

Conservation status

Critically endangered

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Drepanididae
Genus:	Hemignathus
Species:	H. lucidus affinis

Binomial name

Hemignathus lucidus affinis
Lichtenstein, 1839

The Maui Nukupu’u was a species of Nukupu’u that was endemic to the Island of Maui. It is a small five inch long bird that lived only in East Maui. It depended on the High Elevation Koa and O’hia forests so it could have food and water. Those two species of trees for some reason attract insects to them, causing the Maui Nukupu’u to have a higher chance of finding a meal near these trees. The males were colored green on its back to its head and yellow on its neck, belly and bottom. It’s long bill was used to peck out insects in the trees bark. The bill is an inch long and takes up to 1/3 or more of its entire length. The females were completely olive green and were much quieter. The juveniles appeared to be a slight tinge of grey with green put in. This species existed in the Hanawi Area Reserve from 3,000 feet up to 4,500 feet up. It formally survived at lower elevations and even in West Maui. It has only been sighted few times in the 20th century. It was common in the 1900s but grew very rare quickly. By 1963 it was thought to be extinct. However a rediscovery of the species in 1980 proved us wrong. By the 1980s though the population was though at best to only be 28 birds. By 1994 that figure dropped down to only one or so birds, a male was sighted but was never seen again. There have been reports of this bird even in 2007 however it seems that the birds are only Hawaii Amakihi.