Oʻahu ʻalauahio

Oʻahu ʻalauahio
Adult and juveniles

Critically endangered, possibly extinct  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Fringillidae
Subfamily: Carduelinae
Genus: Paroreomyza
Species: P. maculata
Binomial name
Paroreomyza maculata
Cabanis, 1850

The O'ahu 'alauahio (Paroreomyza maculata), also known as the Oahu creeper, is a small finch-like bird that is endemic to the Hawaiian island of Oahu.

Description

Turnaround video of a male specimen, Naturalis Biodiversity Center

It is a small, yellow green bird with a bluish bill. It is 4 inches (100 mm) long and is green on the back and tail. The head and underparts are yellow. The face is a brighter yellow with a dark green eyestripe. Juveniles are browner with white wingbars. It feeds on invertebrates hidden under the bark of trees, and it uses its bill to remove the bark and catch the insects using its specialized tongue.

The bird is critically endangered and may be extinct because of disease (avian malaria), introduced and invasive plants and wildlife, and habitat loss. The last confirmed record occurred in 1985, though unconfirmed reports are still filed.

References

  1. ↑ BirdLife International (2012). "Paroreomyza maculata". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 26 November 2013.

External links

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