Hawaiian honeycreepers are small
passerineA passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines form one of the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate orders:...
birdBirds are winged, bipedal, endothermic , vertebrate animals that lay eggs. There are around 10,000 living species, making them the most numerous tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Birds range in size from the Bee Hummingbird to the ...
s endemic to
HawaiiHawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states, and is the only state made up entirely of islands. It is located on an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of Australia. The state was admitted to the Union on August...
. Some authorities still categorize this group as a
familyIn biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus...
Drepanididae, but in recent years most authorities consider them a
subfamilyIn biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus...
,
Drepanidinae, of Fringillidae, the
finchThe true finches are passerine birds in the family Fringillidae. They are predominantly seed-eating songbirds. Most are native to Southern Hemisphere, but one subfamily is endemic to the Neotropics, one to the Hawaiian Islands, and one subfamily – monotypic at genus level – is found...
family. The entire group is also called
DrepanidiniDrepanidini is a tribe of birds in the Hawaiian honeycreeper subfamily, Drepanidinae. Members of this tribe are nectarivorous and have brightly-colored plumage...
in treatments where buntings and
American sparrowAmerican sparrows are a group of mainly New World passerine birds, forming part of the family Emberizidae. American sparrows are seed-eating birds with conical bills, brown or gray in color, and many species have distinctive head patterns....
s (
EmberizidaeThe Emberizidae are a large family of passerine birds.They are seed-eating birds with a distinctively shaped bill. In Europe, most species are named as buntings....
) are included in the finch family; this term is preferred for just one sub-group of the birds today.
The group is divided into three
tribeIn biology, a tribe — or infrafamily — is a taxonomic rank between family and genus. It is sometimes subdivided into subtribes.-See also:* Rank * Rank *International Code of Botanical Nomenclature...
s, but only very provisionally so.
Hawaiian honeycreepers are small
passerineA passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines form one of the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate orders:...
birdBirds are winged, bipedal, endothermic , vertebrate animals that lay eggs. There are around 10,000 living species, making them the most numerous tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Birds range in size from the Bee Hummingbird to the ...
s endemic to
HawaiiHawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states, and is the only state made up entirely of islands. It is located on an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of Australia. The state was admitted to the Union on August...
. Some authorities still categorize this group as a
familyIn biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus...
Drepanididae, but in recent years most authorities consider them a
subfamilyIn biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus...
,
Drepanidinae, of Fringillidae, the
finchThe true finches are passerine birds in the family Fringillidae. They are predominantly seed-eating songbirds. Most are native to Southern Hemisphere, but one subfamily is endemic to the Neotropics, one to the Hawaiian Islands, and one subfamily – monotypic at genus level – is found...
family. The entire group is also called
DrepanidiniDrepanidini is a tribe of birds in the Hawaiian honeycreeper subfamily, Drepanidinae. Members of this tribe are nectarivorous and have brightly-colored plumage...
in treatments where buntings and
American sparrowAmerican sparrows are a group of mainly New World passerine birds, forming part of the family Emberizidae. American sparrows are seed-eating birds with conical bills, brown or gray in color, and many species have distinctive head patterns....
s (
EmberizidaeThe Emberizidae are a large family of passerine birds.They are seed-eating birds with a distinctively shaped bill. In Europe, most species are named as buntings....
) are included in the finch family; this term is preferred for just one sub-group of the birds today.
Classification
The group is divided into three
tribeIn biology, a tribe — or infrafamily — is a taxonomic rank between family and genus. It is sometimes subdivided into subtribes.-See also:* Rank * Rank *International Code of Botanical Nomenclature...
s, but only very provisionally so. Several taxa appear to be too basal to really place into one of these, and others are best considered
incertae sedisIncertae sedis , abbreviated "inc. sed.", is a term used to define a taxonomic group where its broader relationships are unknown or undefined.-Examples:The taxonomy for humans is usually recognized as follows:...
. Some unusual forms never seen alive by scientists, such as
XestospizaXestospiza is a genus containing two species of birds with cone-shaped bills that were described on the basis of fossils. They were possibly insectivores. It consists of the following:* Cone-billed Finch - prehistoric...
or
Vangulifer, cannot easily be placed into any group.
Psittirostrini
Members of
PsittirostriniPsittirostrini is one of three tribes belonging to the Hawaiian honeycreeper subfamily, Drepanidinae. It is made up of the thick-billed birds, colloquially known as the Hawaiian finches, that once inhabited all of the Hawaiian Islands. These birds are granivorous and have songs like those of...
, known as "Hawaiian finches," are
granivorousSeed predation, often referred to as granivory, is a type of plant-animal interaction in which granivores feed on the seeds of plants as a main or exclusive food source , in many cases leaving the seeds damaged and not viable...
with thick finch-like bills, and songs like those of
carduelineThe genus Carduelisis a large group of birds in the finch family Fringillidae. It includes the greenfinches, redpolls, goldfinches, linnets, the twite, and the non-African siskins...
finches. The group once covered the islands. Finch-billed drepanids include the
Laysan FinchThe Laysan Finch is a species of finch in the Hawaiian honeycreeper subfamily, Drepanididae, that is endemic to the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. It is one of four remaining finch-billed Hawaiian honeycreepers, and is closely related to the smaller Nihoa Finch. The Laysan Finch is named for...
, the
Nihoa FinchThe Nihoa Finch is one of the two endemic bird species of the tiny Hawaiian island Nihoa, the other being the Nihoa Millerbird. When it was classified in 1917, scientists thought that it would be the last endemic species named. This was later found untrue. The island's population is 1000-3000 birds...
, the
Maui ParrotbillThe Maui Parrotbill is a species of finch in the Hawaiian honeycreeper subfamily, Drepanidinae, that is endemic to Maui in Hawaii. It can only be found in of mesic and wet forests at on the windward slopes of Haleakalā. The total population of this bird is estimated at 500, making it critically...
and the
PalilaThe Palila is an endangered finch-billed species of Hawaiian honeycreeper. It has a golden-yellow head and breast, with a light belly, gray back, and greenish wings and tail...
, which may be the last remaining species left alive in this group. Extinct species include the four
Koa finchesRhodacanthis is an extinct genus of finches in the Hawaiian honeycreeper subfamily, Drepanidinae. All four species were endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. Members of this genus were granivores, with bills adapted to the seeds and seed pods of legumes. The two species that became extinct in the...
, the [[ʻŌʻū|Ōū]], and the Lānai Hookbill.
Hemignathini
HemignathiniHemignathini is a tribe of bird in the Hawaiian honeycreeper subfamily, Drepanidinae. Of the three tribes in Drepanidinae, Hemignathini is the largest. It contains the Creepers, the extinct Akialoas, Amakihi, and extinct Nukupu'us. This group is made up of long-billed insectivores, but several of...
includes the Hawaii Creeper and its allies, such as the Nukupuu. These are generally green-plumaged birds with thin bills, and feed on nectar and
insectInsects are arthropods, having a hard exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae. They are the most diverse group of animals on the planet and include more than a million species that are already described. Insects represent more than half of all...
s. Members of this group usually have green, yellow, orange, red, and grey feathers.
Drepanidini
Species in the tribe
DrepanidiniDrepanidini is a tribe of birds in the Hawaiian honeycreeper subfamily, Drepanidinae. Members of this tribe are nectarivorous and have brightly-colored plumage...
are
nectarivorousIn zoology, a nectarivore is an animal which eats the sugar-rich nectar produced by flowering plants. Most nectarivores are insects or birds, but there are also nectarivorous mammals, notably several species of bats in the Southwestern United States and Mexico, as well as the Australian Honey...
, and their songs contain nasal squeaks and whistles. Members of this group often have red black, yellow, white and orange
plumagePlumage refers both to the layer of feathers that cover a bird and the pattern, colour, and arrangement of those feathers. The pattern and colours of plumage vary between species and subspecies and can also vary between different age classes, sexes, and season. Within species there can also be a...
. It includes the [[ʻIʻiwi|Iwi]].
Characteristics
The male Hawaiian honeycreepers are more brightly coloured than the females in the Psittirostrini, but in the Hemignathini, they often look very similar. The
flowerA flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to mediate the union of male sperm with female ovum in order to produce seeds...
s of the native ōhia lehua (
Metrosideros polymorphaThe ōhia lehua is a species of flowering evergreen tree in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, that is endemic to the six largest islands of Hawaii. It is a highly variable tree, being tall in favorable situations, and much smaller when growing in boggy soils or on basalt...
) are favoured by a number of
nectarivorousIn zoology, a nectarivore is an animal which eats the sugar-rich nectar produced by flowering plants. Most nectarivores are insects or birds, but there are also nectarivorous mammals, notably several species of bats in the Southwestern United States and Mexico, as well as the Australian Honey...
honeycreepers. Many species of this subfamily have been noted to have a plumage odor that has been termed the
Drepanidine odor and suspected to have a role in making the bird distasteful to predators.
The wide range of bills in this group, from thick finch-like bills to slender downcurved bills for probing flowers have arisen through
adaptive radiationAn adaptive radiation is a rapid evolutionary radiation characterized by an increase in the morphological and ecological diversity of a single, rapidly diversifying lineage. Phenotypes adapt in response to the environment, with new and useful traits arising...
, where an ancestral finch has evolved to fill a large number of
ecological nicheIn ecology, a niche is a term describing the relational position of a species or population in its ecosystem to each other; e.g. a dolphin could potentially be in another ecological niche from one that travels in a different school if the members of these schools utilize significantly different...
s. Some 20 species of Hawaiian honeycreeper have become extinct in the recent past, many more since the arrival of the
PolynesiansThe Polynesian peoples is a grouping of various ethnic groups that traditionally spoke Polynesian languages and inhabited Polynesia.-Polynesian peoples:The Polynesian peoples include:*Aniwa*Anuta*Austral*Fijian*Futunan*Hawaiian*Kapingamarangi...
who introduced the first
ratRats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents of the superfamily Muroidea. "True rats" are members of the genus Rattus, the most important of which to humans are the black rat, Rattus rattus, and the brown rat, Rattus norvegicus...
s and in some cases started destroying habitat for agriculture.
Genera and species
The term "prehistoric" indicates species that went extinct between the initial human settlement of Hawaii (i.e., from the late 1st millennium AD on) and European contact in 1778.
SUBFAMILY DREPANIDINAE
- Tribe Drepanidini
Drepanidini is a tribe of birds in the Hawaiian honeycreeper subfamily, Drepanidinae. Members of this tribe are nectarivorous and have brightly-colored plumage...
- Genus Ciridops
Ciridops is an extinct genus of Hawaiian honeycreeper species that occurred in prehistoric and historic times on the Hawaiian islands of Hawai'i, Molokai, Kauai and Oahu. This genus was created in 1892 by Alfred Newton in an article published by the journal Nature on the basis of the...
NewtonAlfred Newton FRS was an English zoologist and ornithologist.Newton was Professor of Comparative Anatomy at Cambridge University from 1866 to 1907...
, 1892 - finch-like, fed on fruit of PritchardiaThe genus Pritchardia consists of between 24-40 species of fan palms found on tropical Pacific Ocean islands in Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Tuamotus, and Hawaii. These palms vary in height, ranging from...
species
Ciridops anna Dole, 1879 - [[ʻUla-ʻai-Hawane|Ula ai hāwane]] (extinctThe Holocene extinction is the widespread, ongoing extinction or mass extinction of species during the present Holocene epoch. The large number of extinctions span numerous families of plants and animals including mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and arthropods; a sizeable fraction of these...
, 1892 or 1937)
- Ciridops tenax Olson
Storrs Lovejoy Olson is an American biologist and ornithologist from the Smithsonian Institution. He is one of the world's foremost Avian paleontologists...
& James, 1991 Stout-legged FinchThe Stout-legged Finch is an extinct species of finch in the Hawaiian honeycreeper subfamily, Drepanidinae. Subfossil remains have only been found on the island of Kauai and indicate that it survived up until the late Quaternary period.-Further reading:*H...
(prehistoricPrehistoric birds are various taxa of birds that became extinct before recorded history, or more precisely, before they could be studied alive by bird scientists...
)
- Genus Drepanis
A mamo or hoohoo is an bird of the genus Drepanis. These nectar-feeding passerines were endemic to Hawaii but are now extinct.The Hawaiian name may be related to the name of the "O'o" a bird with a similar appearance...
TemminckCoenraad Jacob Temminck was a Dutch aristocrat and zoologist.Temminck was the first director of the National Natural History Museum at Leiden from 1820 until his death. His Manuel d'ornithologie, ou Tableau systematique des oiseaux qui se trouvent en Europe was the standard work on European birds...
, 1820 - downcurved bills, nectarivores
- Drepanis funerea Newton
Alfred Newton FRS was an English zoologist and ornithologist.Newton was Professor of Comparative Anatomy at Cambridge University from 1866 to 1907...
, 1894 - Black MamoThe Black Mamo is an extinct species of bird that was endemic to the island of Molokai in Hawaii, where it inhabited high forests of the peaks. It was discovered in 1893 in the Pelekuna Valley. There is fossil evidence of this species on the island of Maui. It was shot down many times for...
(extinctThe Holocene extinction is the widespread, ongoing extinction or mass extinction of species during the present Holocene epoch. The large number of extinctions span numerous families of plants and animals including mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and arthropods; a sizeable fraction of these...
, 1907)
- Drepanis pacifica Gmelin
Johann Friedrich Gmelin was a German naturalist, botanist and entomologist.- Education :Johann Friedrich Gmelin was born as the eldest son of Philipp Friedrich Gmelin in 1748 in Tübingen...
, 1788 - Hawaii Mamo (extinctThe Holocene extinction is the widespread, ongoing extinction or mass extinction of species during the present Holocene epoch. The large number of extinctions span numerous families of plants and animals including mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and arthropods; a sizeable fraction of these...
, 1898)
- Genus Himatione - thin-billed nectarivore
Himatione sanguinea Gmelin
Johann Friedrich Gmelin was a German naturalist, botanist and entomologist.- Education :Johann Friedrich Gmelin was born as the eldest son of Philipp Friedrich Gmelin in 1748 in Tübingen...
, 1788 - [[ʻApapane|Apapane]]
Himatione sanguinea freethi - Laysan Apapane (extinctThe Holocene extinction is the widespread, ongoing extinction or mass extinction of species during the present Holocene epoch. The large number of extinctions span numerous families of plants and animals including mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and arthropods; a sizeable fraction of these...
, 1923)
Genus Melamprosops Casey & Jacobi, 1974 - short pointed bill, browserBrowsing is a type of predation in which a herbivore feeds on leaves, soft shoots, or fruits of high growing, generally woody, plants such as shrubs. This is contrasted with grazing predation, usually associated with animals feeding on grass or other low vegetation...
and snailThe word snail is a common name for almost all members of the molluscan class Gastropoda that have coiled shells in the adult stage. When the word snail is used in a general sense, it includes sea snails, land snails and freshwater snails. Snails lacking a shell or having only a very small one are...
specialist
- Melamprosops phaeosoma Casey & Jacobi, 1974 - Poouli (possibly extinct, November 28, 2004?)
Genus Palmeria RothschildLionel Walter Rothschild, 2nd Baron Rothschild , a scion of the Rothschild family, was a British banker, politician, and zoologist.-Biography:...
, 1893 - thin-billed nectarivore, favors Metrosideros polymorphaThe ōhia lehua is a species of flowering evergreen tree in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, that is endemic to the six largest islands of Hawaii. It is a highly variable tree, being tall in favorable situations, and much smaller when growing in boggy soils or on basalt...
Palmeria dolei WilsonScott Barchard Wilson was a British ornithologist and explorer.In 1887, Wilson was sent by his professor Alfred Newton to study and collect birds in Hawaii. On his return he wrote Aves Hawaiienses with Arthur Humble Evans, illustrated by Frederick William Frohawk.-References:* Fuller, Errol :...
, 1891 - [[ʻAkohekohe|Ākohekohe]] (thought to be extinct, rediscovered in 1945)
Genus Vestiaria Jarocki, 1821 - downcurved-bill nectarivore
- Vestiaria coccinea Forster
Johann Reinhold Forster was a German Lutheran pastor and naturalist of partial Scottish descent who made contributions to the early ornithology of Europe and North America...
, 1780 - [[ʻIʻiwi|Iiwi]]
Tribe HemignathiniHemignathini is a tribe of bird in the Hawaiian honeycreeper subfamily, Drepanidinae. Of the three tribes in Drepanidinae, Hemignathini is the largest. It contains the Creepers, the extinct Akialoas, Amakihi, and extinct Nukupu'us. This group is made up of long-billed insectivores, but several of...
- Genus Aidemedia Olson
Storrs Lovejoy Olson is an American biologist and ornithologist from the Smithsonian Institution. He is one of the world's foremost Avian paleontologists...
& James, 1991 - straight thin bills, insectivores
Aidemedia chascax OlsonStorrs Lovejoy Olson is an American biologist and ornithologist from the Smithsonian Institution. He is one of the world's foremost Avian paleontologists...
& James, 1991 - Oahu Icterid-like Gaper (prehistoricPrehistoric birds are various taxa of birds that became extinct before recorded history, or more precisely, before they could be studied alive by bird scientists...
)
- Aidemedia lutetiae Olson
Storrs Lovejoy Olson is an American biologist and ornithologist from the Smithsonian Institution. He is one of the world's foremost Avian paleontologists...
& James, 1991 - Maui Nui Icterid-like Gaper (prehistoricPrehistoric birds are various taxa of birds that became extinct before recorded history, or more precisely, before they could be studied alive by bird scientists...
)
- Aidemedia zanclops Olson
Storrs Lovejoy Olson is an American biologist and ornithologist from the Smithsonian Institution. He is one of the world's foremost Avian paleontologists...
& James, 1991 - Sickle-billed Gaper (prehistoricPrehistoric birds are various taxa of birds that became extinct before recorded history, or more precisely, before they could be studied alive by bird scientists...
)
Genus HemignathusHemignathus is a Hawaiian honeycreeper genus in the finch family, Fringillidae. These birds are endemic to the Hawaiian Islands.Many of its species became extinct during the 19th and 20th centuries due to a combination of habitat destruction, introduced predators, and most importantly...
Lichtenstein, 1839 - pointed or long and downcurved bills, insectivorous or nectarivorous
- Hemignathus flavus Bloxam, 1827 - Oahu Amakihi
- Hemignathus kauaiensis Pratt, 1989 - Kauai Amakihi
- Hemignathus lucidus Lichtenstein, 1839 - Nukupuu
- Hemignathus lucidus affinis - Maui Nukupuu (extinct
The Holocene extinction is the widespread, ongoing extinction or mass extinction of species during the present Holocene epoch. The large number of extinctions span numerous families of plants and animals including mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and arthropods; a sizeable fraction of these...
, 1995-1998)
- Hemignathus lucidus hanapepe - Kauai Nukupuu (extinct
The Holocene extinction is the widespread, ongoing extinction or mass extinction of species during the present Holocene epoch. The large number of extinctions span numerous families of plants and animals including mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and arthropods; a sizeable fraction of these...
, 1998)
- Hemignathus lucidus lucides - Oahu Nukupuu (extinct
The Holocene extinction is the widespread, ongoing extinction or mass extinction of species during the present Holocene epoch. The large number of extinctions span numerous families of plants and animals including mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and arthropods; a sizeable fraction of these...
, 1837)
- Hemignathus sagittirostris Rothschild
Lionel Walter Rothschild, 2nd Baron Rothschild , a scion of the Rothschild family, was a British banker, politician, and zoologist.-Biography:...
, 1892 - Greater Amakihi (extinctThe Holocene extinction is the widespread, ongoing extinction or mass extinction of species during the present Holocene epoch. The large number of extinctions span numerous families of plants and animals including mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and arthropods; a sizeable fraction of these...
, 1901)
- Hemignathus virens Cabanis
Jean Louis Cabanis was a German ornithologist.Cabanis was born in Berlin. He studied at the University of Berlin from 1835 to 1839, and then travelled to North America, returning in 1841 with a large natural history collection. He was assistant and later director of the Berlin University Museum,...
, 1851 - Common Amakihi
- Hemignathus vorpalis James & Olson
Storrs Lovejoy Olson is an American biologist and ornithologist from the Smithsonian Institution. He is one of the world's foremost Avian paleontologists...
, 2003 - Giant Amakihi (prehistoricPrehistoric birds are various taxa of birds that became extinct before recorded history, or more precisely, before they could be studied alive by bird scientists...
)
(Sub)Genus Akialoa
- Hemignathus ellisianus or Akialoa ellisiana Gray
George Robert Gray FRS was an English zoologist and author, and head of the ornithological section of the British Museum in London for forty-one years...
, 1859 - Oahu Akialoa (extinctThe Holocene extinction is the widespread, ongoing extinction or mass extinction of species during the present Holocene epoch. The large number of extinctions span numerous families of plants and animals including mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and arthropods; a sizeable fraction of these...
, 1940)
- Hemignathus lanaiensis or Akialoa lanaiensis Rothschild
Lionel Walter Rothschild, 2nd Baron Rothschild , a scion of the Rothschild family, was a British banker, politician, and zoologist.-Biography:...
, 1893 - Maui Nui Akialoa (extinctThe Holocene extinction is the widespread, ongoing extinction or mass extinction of species during the present Holocene epoch. The large number of extinctions span numerous families of plants and animals including mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and arthropods; a sizeable fraction of these...
, 1892)
- Hemignathus obscurus or Akialoa obscura Cabanis
Jean Louis Cabanis was a German ornithologist.Cabanis was born in Berlin. He studied at the University of Berlin from 1835 to 1839, and then travelled to North America, returning in 1841 with a large natural history collection. He was assistant and later director of the Berlin University Museum,...
, 1889 - Hawaii Akialoa (extinctThe Holocene extinction is the widespread, ongoing extinction or mass extinction of species during the present Holocene epoch. The large number of extinctions span numerous families of plants and animals including mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and arthropods; a sizeable fraction of these...
, 1940)
- Hemignathus stejnegeri or Akialoa stejnegeri Wilson
Scott Barchard Wilson was a British ornithologist and explorer.In 1887, Wilson was sent by his professor Alfred Newton to study and collect birds in Hawaii. On his return he wrote Aves Hawaiienses with Arthur Humble Evans, illustrated by Frederick William Frohawk.-References:* Fuller, Errol :...
, 1889 - Kauai Akialoa (extinctThe Holocene extinction is the widespread, ongoing extinction or mass extinction of species during the present Holocene epoch. The large number of extinctions span numerous families of plants and animals including mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and arthropods; a sizeable fraction of these...
, 1969)
- Hemignathus upupirostris or Akialoa upupirostris - Hoopoe-billed Akialoa (prehistoric
Prehistoric birds are various taxa of birds that became extinct before recorded history, or more precisely, before they could be studied alive by bird scientists...
)
(Sub)Genus Heterorhynchus
- Hemignathus munroi or Heterorhynchus wilsoni Pratt, 1979 - [[ʻAkiapolaʻau|Akiapolaau]]
(Sub)Genus Magumma
- Hemignathus parvus or Magumma parva Stejneger
Leonhard Hess Stejneger was an American ornithologist, herpetologist and zoologist. Stejneger specialized in vertebrate natural history studies. He gained his greatest reputation with reptiles and amphibians....
, 1887- [[ʻAnianiau|Anianiau]]
Genus LoxopsLoxops is a Hawaiian honeycreeper genus in the finch family, Fringillidae.It contains the following species:* [[ʻAkekeʻe]] * [[ʻAkepa]]...
- small pointed bills with the tips offset a little horizontally, insectivores
Loxops caeruleirostris WilsonScott Barchard Wilson was a British ornithologist and explorer.In 1887, Wilson was sent by his professor Alfred Newton to study and collect birds in Hawaii. On his return he wrote Aves Hawaiienses with Arthur Humble Evans, illustrated by Frederick William Frohawk.-References:* Fuller, Errol :...
, 1890 - AkekeeThe Akekee is a bird species in the family Fringillidae, where it is placed in the Hawaiian honeycreeper genus Loxops. It is endemic to the island of Kauai where it is found in small numbers in higher elevations...
Loxops coccineus GmelinJohann Friedrich Gmelin was a German naturalist, botanist and entomologist.- Education :Johann Friedrich Gmelin was born as the eldest son of Philipp Friedrich Gmelin in 1748 in Tübingen...
, 1789 - [[ʻAkepa|Ākepa]]
Loxops coccineus coccineus - Hawaii Ākepa
Loxops coccineus ochraceus - Maui Ākepa (extinctThe Holocene extinction is the widespread, ongoing extinction or mass extinction of species during the present Holocene epoch. The large number of extinctions span numerous families of plants and animals including mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and arthropods; a sizeable fraction of these...
, 1988)
Loxops coccineus wolstenholmei - Oahu Ākepa (extinctThe Holocene extinction is the widespread, ongoing extinction or mass extinction of species during the present Holocene epoch. The large number of extinctions span numerous families of plants and animals including mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and arthropods; a sizeable fraction of these...
, 1990s)
Genus OreomystisOreomystis is a genus of finch in the Fringillidae family.It contains the following species:* 'Akikiki * Hawai'i Creeper...
Wilson, 1891 - short pointed bills, browsers
- Oreomystis bairdi Stejneger
Leonhard Hess Stejneger was an American ornithologist, herpetologist and zoologist. Stejneger specialized in vertebrate natural history studies. He gained his greatest reputation with reptiles and amphibians....
, 1887 - [[ʻAkikiki|Akikiki]]
- Oreomystis mana Wilson, 1891 - Hawaii Creeper
Genus ParoreomyzaParoreomyza is a genus of finch in the Fringillidae family.It contains the following species:* Kakawahie * O'ahu 'Alauahio * Maui 'Alauahio...
- similar to Oreomystis
Paroreomyza montana WilsonScott Barchard Wilson was a British ornithologist and explorer.In 1887, Wilson was sent by his professor Alfred Newton to study and collect birds in Hawaii. On his return he wrote Aves Hawaiienses with Arthur Humble Evans, illustrated by Frederick William Frohawk.-References:* Fuller, Errol :...
, 1890 - Maui Nui Alauahio
Paroreomyza montana montana - Lānai Alauahio (extinctThe Holocene extinction is the widespread, ongoing extinction or mass extinction of species during the present Holocene epoch. The large number of extinctions span numerous families of plants and animals including mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and arthropods; a sizeable fraction of these...
, 1937)
Paroreomyza flammea WilsonScott Barchard Wilson was a British ornithologist and explorer.In 1887, Wilson was sent by his professor Alfred Newton to study and collect birds in Hawaii. On his return he wrote Aves Hawaiienses with Arthur Humble Evans, illustrated by Frederick William Frohawk.-References:* Fuller, Errol :...
, 1889 - Molokai CreeperThe Kākāwahie or Molokai Creeper was a species of finch in the Fringillidae family. It is extinct, formerly occurring on the Hawaiian island of Molokai. It is five and a half inches long with clawed toes. This bird did look like a flame especially the males which were scarlet red all around. The...
or Kākāwahie (extinctThe Holocene extinction is the widespread, ongoing extinction or mass extinction of species during the present Holocene epoch. The large number of extinctions span numerous families of plants and animals including mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and arthropods; a sizeable fraction of these...
, 1963)
Paroreomyza maculata Cabanis, 1850 - Oahu Alauahio (possibly extinctThe Holocene extinction is the widespread, ongoing extinction or mass extinction of species during the present Holocene epoch. The large number of extinctions span numerous families of plants and animals including mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and arthropods; a sizeable fraction of these...
, early 1990s?)
Genus Vangulifer - flat rounded bills, possibly caught flying insects
- Vangulifer mirandus - Strange-billed Finch (prehistoric
Prehistoric birds are various taxa of birds that became extinct before recorded history, or more precisely, before they could be studied alive by bird scientists...
)
- Vangulifer neophasis - Thin-billed Finch (prehistoric
Prehistoric birds are various taxa of birds that became extinct before recorded history, or more precisely, before they could be studied alive by bird scientists...
)
Tribe PsittirostriniPsittirostrini is one of three tribes belonging to the Hawaiian honeycreeper subfamily, Drepanidinae. It is made up of the thick-billed birds, colloquially known as the Hawaiian finches, that once inhabited all of the Hawaiian Islands. These birds are granivorous and have songs like those of...
- Genus Chloridops
Chloridops is an extinct genus of birds. It comprised three species: two on the Big Island of Hawaii and one that inhabited Kauai, Oahu and Maui. The genus includes the following three species:*Kona Grosbeak - extinct...
WilsonScott Barchard Wilson was a British ornithologist and explorer.In 1887, Wilson was sent by his professor Alfred Newton to study and collect birds in Hawaii. On his return he wrote Aves Hawaiienses with Arthur Humble Evans, illustrated by Frederick William Frohawk.-References:* Fuller, Errol :...
, 1888 - thick-billed, Myoporum sandwicenseMyoporum sandwicense is a species of flowering tree in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae. Common names include Naio, bastard sandalwood or false sandalwood. It is native to Hawaii and Mangaia in the Cook Islands.-Description:...
and other hard seed specialist
Chloridops kona WilsonScott Barchard Wilson was a British ornithologist and explorer.In 1887, Wilson was sent by his professor Alfred Newton to study and collect birds in Hawaii. On his return he wrote Aves Hawaiienses with Arthur Humble Evans, illustrated by Frederick William Frohawk.-References:* Fuller, Errol :...
, 1888 - Kona GrosbeakThe Kona Grosbeak is an extinct species of finch in the Hawaiian honeycreeper subfamily, Drepanidinae. The Kona Grosbeak was endemic to naio forests on ʻaʻā lava flows at elevations of near the Kona District on the island of Hawaii...
(extinctThe Holocene extinction is the widespread, ongoing extinction or mass extinction of species during the present Holocene epoch. The large number of extinctions span numerous families of plants and animals including mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and arthropods; a sizeable fraction of these...
, 1894)
- Chloridops regiskongi - Giant ("King Kong") Grosbeak
The King Kong Grosbeak is a prehistoric species of finch in the Hawaiian honeycreeper subfamily, Drepanididae, that was endemic to Hawaii. It had the largest beak of the three Chloridops species known to have existed. The King Kong Grosbeak was described from fossils found at Barber's Point and...
(prehistoricPrehistoric birds are various taxa of birds that became extinct before recorded history, or more precisely, before they could be studied alive by bird scientists...
)
- Chloridops wahi - Wahi Grosbeak (prehistoric
Prehistoric birds are various taxa of birds that became extinct before recorded history, or more precisely, before they could be studied alive by bird scientists...
)
Genus Dysmorodrepanis PerkinsRobert Cyril Layton Perkins FRS was a distinguished British entomologist, noted for his work on the fauna of the islands of Hawaii and on Hymenoptera.-Life:...
, 1919 - pincer-like bill, possibly snail specialist
- Dysmorodrepanis munroi Perkins
Robert Cyril Layton Perkins FRS was a distinguished British entomologist, noted for his work on the fauna of the islands of Hawaii and on Hymenoptera.-Life:...
, 1919 - Lānai Hookbill (extinctThe Holocene extinction is the widespread, ongoing extinction or mass extinction of species during the present Holocene epoch. The large number of extinctions span numerous families of plants and animals including mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and arthropods; a sizeable fraction of these...
, 1918)
Genus LoxioidesLoxioides is a genus of finches in the Hawaiian honeycreeper subfamily, Drepanidinae. It contains the following species:* Loxioides bailleui
Oustalet, 1877 - Palila...
OustaletJean-Frédéric Émile Oustalet was a French zoologist.Oustalet was born at Montbéliard, in the department of Doubs. He studied at the Ecole des Hautes-Etudes and his first scientific work was on the respiratory organs of dragonfly larvae...
, 1877 - finch-like, FabalesFabales is an order of flowering plants. It is included in the rosid group of the eudicots in the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group II classification system...
seed specialists
Loxioides bailleui OustaletJean-Frédéric Émile Oustalet was a French zoologist.Oustalet was born at Montbéliard, in the department of Doubs. He studied at the Ecole des Hautes-Etudes and his first scientific work was on the respiratory organs of dragonfly larvae...
, 1877 - PalilaThe Palila is an endangered finch-billed species of Hawaiian honeycreeper. It has a golden-yellow head and breast, with a light belly, gray back, and greenish wings and tail...
Loxioides kikuichi Olson & James, 2006 - Kauai PalilaThe Kauai Palila was a species of Hawaiian finch that was much larger than the Palila . It was probably covered in feathers of red, gold, white, and black.- Extinction :...
(prehistoricPrehistoric birds are various taxa of birds that became extinct before recorded history, or more precisely, before they could be studied alive by bird scientists...
, possibly survived to the early 18th century)
Genus Orthiospiza - large weak bill, possibly soft seed or fruit specialist?
- Orthiospiza howarthi James & Olson
Storrs Lovejoy Olson is an American biologist and ornithologist from the Smithsonian Institution. He is one of the world's foremost Avian paleontologists...
, 1991- Highland FinchThe Highland Finch 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...
(prehistoricPrehistoric birds are various taxa of birds that became extinct before recorded history, or more precisely, before they could be studied alive by bird scientists...
)
Genus Pseudonestor - parrotParrots, also known as psittacines , are birds of the roughly 372 species in 86 genera that make up the order Psittaciformes, found in most warm and tropical regions. The order is subdivded in three families: the Psittacidae , the Cacatuidae and the Nestoridae...
-like bill, probes decomposingDecomposition is the process by which tissues of a dead organism break down into simpler forms of matter. The process is essential for new growth and development of living organisms because it recycles the finite matter that occupies physical space in the biome. Bodies of living organisms begin to...
wood for insect larvae
Pseudonestor xanthophrys RothschildLionel Walter Rothschild, 2nd Baron Rothschild , a scion of the Rothschild family, was a British banker, politician, and zoologist.-Biography:...
, 1893 - Maui ParrotbillThe Maui Parrotbill is a species of finch in the Hawaiian honeycreeper subfamily, Drepanidinae, that is endemic to Maui in Hawaii. It can only be found in of mesic and wet forests at on the windward slopes of Haleakalā. The total population of this bird is estimated at 500, making it critically...
(thought to be extinct, rediscovered in 1945)
Genus Psittirostra - slightly hooked bill, Freycinetia arboreaThe Ieie is a densely branched, brittle, woody climber in the screwpalm family, Pandanaceae that is endemic to the Pacific Islands. Ieie is found in moist forest on the Hawaiian, Marquesas, Austral, Society, and Cook Islands. It grows into the forest canopy, attaching itself to a host tree using...
fruit specialist
- Psittirostra psittacea Gmelin
Johann Friedrich Gmelin was a German naturalist, botanist and entomologist.- Education :Johann Friedrich Gmelin was born as the eldest son of Philipp Friedrich Gmelin in 1748 in Tübingen...
, 1789 - [[ʻŌʻū|Ōū]] (probably extinctThe Holocene extinction is the widespread, ongoing extinction or mass extinction of species during the present Holocene epoch. The large number of extinctions span numerous families of plants and animals including mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and arthropods; a sizeable fraction of these...
, 1998?)
Genus RhodacanthisRhodacanthis is an extinct genus of finches in the Hawaiian honeycreeper subfamily, Drepanidinae. All four species were endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. Members of this genus were granivores, with bills adapted to the seeds and seed pods of legumes. The two species that became extinct in the...
- large-billed legumeIn botanical writing legume is a plant in the family Fabaceae , or a fruit of these specific plants. A'legume' fruit is a simple dry fruit that develops from a simple carpel and usually dehisces on two sides. A common name for this type of fruit is a pod, although "pod" is also applied to a few...
specialists
Rhodacanthis flaviceps Rothschild, 1892 - Lesser Koa-finch (extinctThe Holocene extinction is the widespread, ongoing extinction or mass extinction of species during the present Holocene epoch. The large number of extinctions span numerous families of plants and animals including mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and arthropods; a sizeable fraction of these...
, 1891)
Rhodacanthis forfex James & OlsonStorrs Lovejoy Olson is an American biologist and ornithologist from the Smithsonian Institution. He is one of the world's foremost Avian paleontologists...
, 2005 - Scissor-billed Koa-finchThe Scissor-billed Koa-finch, or Scissor Finch is an extinct species of finch in the Hawaiian honeycreeper subfamily, 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...
(prehistoricPrehistoric birds are various taxa of birds that became extinct before recorded history, or more precisely, before they could be studied alive by bird scientists...
)
Rhodacanthis litotes James & OlsonStorrs Lovejoy Olson is an American biologist and ornithologist from the Smithsonian Institution. He is one of the world's foremost Avian paleontologists...
, 2005 - Primitive Koa-finchThe Primitive Koa-finch is a species of finch in the Hawaiian honeycreeper subfamily, Drepanididae. It was endemic to Hawaii. Of the four species in the genus Telespiza, it and the Scissor-billed Koa-finch became extinct before the arrival of the first Europeans to Hawaii in 1778...
(prehistoricPrehistoric birds are various taxa of birds that became extinct before recorded history, or more precisely, before they could be studied alive by bird scientists...
)
Rhodacanthis palmeri Rothschild, 1892 - Greater Koa-finch (extinctThe Holocene extinction is the widespread, ongoing extinction or mass extinction of species during the present Holocene epoch. The large number of extinctions span numerous families of plants and animals including mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and arthropods; a sizeable fraction of these...
, 1896)
Genus TelespizaTelespiza is a genus of finches in the Hawaiian honeycreeper subfamily, Drepanididae. All species in it are or were endemic to the Hawaiian Islands.-Species:* Telespiza cantans
Wilson, 1890 - Laysan Finch...
WilsonScott Barchard Wilson was a British ornithologist and explorer.In 1887, Wilson was sent by his professor Alfred Newton to study and collect birds in Hawaii. On his return he wrote Aves Hawaiienses with Arthur Humble Evans, illustrated by Frederick William Frohawk.-References:* Fuller, Errol :...
, 1890 - finch-like, granivores, opportunistic scavengerScavenging, or necrophagy, is a carnivorous feeding behaviour in which a predator consumes corpses or carrion that were not killed to be eaten by the predator or others of its species. Scavengers play an important role in the ecosystem by contributing to the decomposition of dead animal remains...
s
- Telespiza cantans Wilson
Scott Barchard Wilson was a British ornithologist and explorer.In 1887, Wilson was sent by his professor Alfred Newton to study and collect birds in Hawaii. On his return he wrote Aves Hawaiienses with Arthur Humble Evans, illustrated by Frederick William Frohawk.-References:* Fuller, Errol :...
, 1890 - Laysan FinchThe Laysan Finch is a species of finch in the Hawaiian honeycreeper subfamily, Drepanididae, that is endemic to the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. It is one of four remaining finch-billed Hawaiian honeycreepers, and is closely related to the smaller Nihoa Finch. The Laysan Finch is named for...
- Telespiza persecutrix James & Olson
Storrs Lovejoy Olson is an American biologist and ornithologist from the Smithsonian Institution. He is one of the world's foremost Avian paleontologists...
, 1991 - Kauai Finch (prehistoricPrehistoric birds are various taxa of birds that became extinct before recorded history, or more precisely, before they could be studied alive by bird scientists...
)
- Telespiza ultima Bryan, 1917 - Nihoa Finch
The Nihoa Finch is one of the two endemic bird species of the tiny Hawaiian island Nihoa, the other being the Nihoa Millerbird. When it was classified in 1917, scientists thought that it would be the last endemic species named. This was later found untrue. The island's population is 1000-3000 birds...
- Telespiza ypsilon James & Olson
Storrs Lovejoy Olson is an American biologist and ornithologist from the Smithsonian Institution. He is one of the world's foremost Avian paleontologists...
, 1991 - Maui Nui FinchThe Maui Nui Finch is an extinct member of the genus Telespiza in the family Fringillidae. It was endemic to the Hawaiian islands of Molokai and Maui. It is only known from fossil remains and likely became extinct before the first Europeans visited Hawaii in 1778.-Extinction:Due to its early...
(prehistoricPrehistoric birds are various taxa of birds that became extinct before recorded history, or more precisely, before they could be studied alive by bird scientists...
)
Genus XestospizaXestospiza is a genus containing two species of birds with cone-shaped bills that were described on the basis of fossils. They were possibly insectivores. It consists of the following:* Cone-billed Finch - prehistoric...
James & OslonStorrs Lovejoy Olson is an American biologist and ornithologist from the Smithsonian Institution. He is one of the world's foremost Avian paleontologists...
, 1991 - cone-shaped bills, possibly insectivores
Xestospiza conica James & Olson, 1991 - Cone-billed Finch (prehistoricPrehistoric birds are various taxa of birds that became extinct before recorded history, or more precisely, before they could be studied alive by bird scientists...
)
Xestospiza fastigialis James & Olson, 1991 - Ridge-billed Finch (prehistoricPrehistoric birds are various taxa of birds that became extinct before recorded history, or more precisely, before they could be studied alive by bird scientists...
)
Other references
- Groth, J. G. 1998. Molecular phylogeny of the cardueline finches and Hawaiian honeycreepers. Ostrich, 69: 401.
External links