| Highland Finch | |
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Suborder: | Passeri |
| Parvorder: | Passerida |
| Family: | Fringillidae |
| Subfamily: | Drepanidinae |
| Tribe: | Psittirostrini |
| Genus: | Orthiospiza |
| Species: | O. howarthi |
| Binomial name | |
| Orthiospiza howarthi James & Olson, 1991 |
|
The Highland Finch (Orthiospiza howarthi) is an extinct member of the Fringillidae. It has traditionally been considered a member of the sub-family Drepanidinae, but this has been questioned recently with some preferring Incertae sedis instead. It is the only member of the genus Orthiospiza. It was endemic to the Hawaiian island of Maui. It has been speculated that they were pushed to extinction because of habitat loss. It is only known from fossil remains and likely became extinct before the first Europeans arrived in 1778.
The Highland Finch was about six inches long and had large, but relatively weak bill that possibly was suited for feeding on soft fruits, seeds and flowers (e.g., ‘ōhi‘a lehua blossoms). The Highland Finch was believed to have once survive in highland forest, but its fossils have been found frequently at the lower elevations of the island.
Due to its early extinction, very little is known about this species. It is only known from a few bones found in caves. It appears that this species began to go extinct when the first Polynesians settlers came to the islands. They cleared some of the land for farming and introduced species for which the native birds had no defence. Five hundred years before Europeans made landfall to Hawaii, the bird was probably extinct. According to fossil records, their numbers declined rapidly in the early 16th century. It has been speculated that this species' visits to lower elevations was its undoing due to contact with avian diseases and pests. Finches were once known on all of the other larger Hawaiian islands, but the Highland Finch seems to have outlived the Oaho Finch. Today, only about sixty percent of Hawaii have not been drastically altered. Many avian diseases and parasites also pose a major threat to Hawai`i's native forest birds.