Scissor-billed Koa-finch
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| Scissor-billed Koa Finch | ||||||||||||||
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| Rhodacanthis forfex James & Olson, 2005 |
The Scissor-billed Koa Finch, (Rhodacanthis forfex) or Scissor Finch is a Hawaiian bird of the family Drepanididae. Of the four species in the genus Rhodacanthis, the Scissor-billed Koa Finch and the Primitive Koa-finch became extinct before the arrival of the first Europeans to Hawaii in 1778. It was endemic to the Hawaiian Islands, probably due to activity of the volcano Mauna Kea on the Big Island.
[edit] Description & Behavior
The bird is about six inches long[citation needed]. Its bill is unusual in the way the upper and lower mandible appear to act like a scissor. It would have been capable of slicing into flowers and lap up the nectar. Alternatively, it could have have used its bill to cut up bark and reach for insects hidden within.[citation needed].
[edit] Threats and conservation
Due to its early extinction, very little is known about this species. It is only known from fossil remains. Other Hawaiian honeycreepers are known to have become extinct or very rare due to habitat loss, introduced predators and avian diseases. It is possible the extinction of the Scissor-billed Koa Finch also involved these factors.
[edit] References
BirdLife International (2004). Vestiaria coccinea. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes a brief justification of why this species is near threatened.
