'Amaui
Encyclopedia
The Oahu Thrush or ʻĀmaui, Myadestes woahensis, was a bird in the genus Myadestes
. Endemic to the island of Oahu
, it was the first of its genus to go extinct, ca. 1850.
Its island name Amaui is technically a corruption, as the Hawaiians considered all the thrushes from Maui, Molokai, Lanai and Oahu to be one species, the Amaui. It was a large brownish songbird
that lived in much of the highland forests on Oahu. It may have been mainly a fruit eater like many of the other Hawaiian Thrushes. Due to its quick extinction, little is known about the Amaui. It may have nested in trees like the Omao or nested in crevices like the extinct Kamao. Its song was reported to be similar to the Molokai Olama’o as it may be its closest relative. It went extinct due to serious habitat degradation and destruction. Mosquitos, introduced about thirty years earlier, caused the birds to evacuate what little good habitat was left in the low altitude areas of Oahu - and if the birds did not leave, they would have contracted malaria and perished. Birds that retreated to upper elevations would have been harassed by introduced rats, which attack the berries and steal chicks from nests. This species' extinction was not a well recorded one, as no one mentions a specific year when the Amaui was last identified. Scientists believe that the species vanished between 1840 to 1860, most likely during the late 1850s. It is known from a single specimen taken in 1825 (now lost) and subfossil bones. The name derives from manu a Māui: "Māui
's bird.
Myadestes
Myadestes is a genus of solitaires, medium-sized mostly insectivorous birds in the thrush family Turdidae.They are found in the Americas and Hawaii, where several island species have become extinct.-Species in taxonomic order:...
. Endemic to the island of Oahu
Oahu
Oahu or Oahu , known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast...
, it was the first of its genus to go extinct, ca. 1850.
Its island name Amaui is technically a corruption, as the Hawaiians considered all the thrushes from Maui, Molokai, Lanai and Oahu to be one species, the Amaui. It was a large brownish songbird
Songbird
A songbird is a bird belonging to the suborder Passeri of the perching birds . Another name that is sometimes seen as scientific or vernacular name is Oscines, from Latin oscen, "a songbird"...
that lived in much of the highland forests on Oahu. It may have been mainly a fruit eater like many of the other Hawaiian Thrushes. Due to its quick extinction, little is known about the Amaui. It may have nested in trees like the Omao or nested in crevices like the extinct Kamao. Its song was reported to be similar to the Molokai Olama’o as it may be its closest relative. It went extinct due to serious habitat degradation and destruction. Mosquitos, introduced about thirty years earlier, caused the birds to evacuate what little good habitat was left in the low altitude areas of Oahu - and if the birds did not leave, they would have contracted malaria and perished. Birds that retreated to upper elevations would have been harassed by introduced rats, which attack the berries and steal chicks from nests. This species' extinction was not a well recorded one, as no one mentions a specific year when the Amaui was last identified. Scientists believe that the species vanished between 1840 to 1860, most likely during the late 1850s. It is known from a single specimen taken in 1825 (now lost) and subfossil bones. The name derives from manu a Māui: "Māui
Maui (Hawaiian mythology)
In Hawaiian mythology, Māui is a culture hero who appears in several different genealogies. In the Ulu line he is the son of Akalana and his wife Hinakawea . This couple has four sons, Māui-mua, Māui-hope, Māui-kiikii and Māui-a-kalana. Māui-a-kalana's wife is named Hinakealohaila; and his son is...
's bird.
External links
- BirdLife International 2004. Myadestes woahensis. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 31 July 2008