Psittirostrini
Encyclopedia
Psittirostrini 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 cardueline
finches. Extant species include the Laysan Finch
, the Nihoa Finch
, the Maui Parrotbill
, and the Palila
, which may possibly be the last remaining species left alive in this group. Extinct species include the four Koa Finches, the [[ʻŌʻū]], and the Lānai Hookbill.
Tribe (biology)
In biology, a tribe is a taxonomic rank between family and genus. It is sometimes subdivided into subtribes.Some examples include the tribes: Canini, Acalypheae, Hominini, Bombini, and Antidesmeae.-See also:* Biological classification* Rank...
belonging to the Hawaiian honeycreeper
Hawaiian honeycreeper
Hawaiian honeycreepers are small, passerine birds endemic to Hawaii. Some authorities still categorize this group as a family Drepanididae, but in recent years, most authorities consider them a subfamily, Drepanidinae, of Fringillidae, the finch family...
subfamily
Family (biology)
In 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. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
, Drepanidinae. It is made up of the thick-billed birds, colloquially known as the Hawaiian finches, that once inhabited all of the Hawaiian Islands
Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...
. These birds are granivorous
Seed predation
Seed 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...
and have songs like those of cardueline
Carduelis
The 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. Extant species include the Laysan Finch
Laysan Finch
The Laysan Finch is a species of finch in the Hawaiian honeycreeper subfamily, Drepanidinae, 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 Finch
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...
, the Maui Parrotbill
Maui Parrotbill
The Maui Parrotbill or kiwikiu 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. This species is critically endangered, with an estimated...
, and the Palila
Palila
The Palila is a critically 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 possibly be the last remaining species left alive in this group. Extinct species include the four Koa Finches, the [[ʻŌʻū]], and the Lānai Hookbill.
Genera and species
-
- Genus ChloridopsChloridopsChloridops 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 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 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 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 GrosbeakKona 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...
(extinctHolocene extinction eventThe Holocene extinction refers to the 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 extinctions are occurring in the...
, 1894) - Chloridops regiskongi - Giant ("King Kong") GrosbeakGiant GrosbeakThe 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...
(prehistoricLate Quaternary prehistoric birdsPrehistoric 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 (prehistoricLate Quaternary prehistoric birdsPrehistoric 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 kona Wilson
- Genus Dysmorodrepanis PerkinsRobert Cyril Layton PerkinsRobert Cyril Layton Perkins FRS was a distinguished British entomologist, ornithologist, and naturalist noted for his work on the fauna of the islands of Hawaii and on Hymenoptera...
, 1919 - pincer-like bill, possibly snail specialist- Dysmorodrepanis munroi PerkinsRobert Cyril Layton PerkinsRobert Cyril Layton Perkins FRS was a distinguished British entomologist, ornithologist, and naturalist noted for his work on the fauna of the islands of Hawaii and on Hymenoptera...
, 1919 - Lānai Hookbill (extinctHolocene extinction eventThe Holocene extinction refers to the 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 extinctions are occurring in the...
, 1918)
- Dysmorodrepanis munroi Perkins
- Genus LoxioidesLoxioidesLoxioides is a genus of finches in the Hawaiian honeycreeper subfamily, Drepanidinae. It contains the following species:* Loxioides bailleui Oustalet, 1877 - Palila...
OustaletÉmile 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, FabalesFabalesFabales 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 OustaletÉmile 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 - PalilaPalilaThe Palila is a critically 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 PalilaKaua'i 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...
(prehistoricLate Quaternary prehistoric birdsPrehistoric 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)
- Loxioides bailleui Oustalet
- Genus Orthiospiza - large weak bill, possibly soft seed or fruit specialist?
- Orthiospiza howarthi James & OlsonStorrs L. OlsonStorrs Lovejoy Olson is an American biologist and ornithologist from the Smithsonian Institution. He is one of the world's foremost avian paleontologists....
, 1991- Highland FinchHighland 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...
(prehistoricLate Quaternary prehistoric birdsPrehistoric birds are various taxa of birds that became extinct before recorded history, or more precisely, before they could be studied alive by bird scientists...
)
- Orthiospiza howarthi James & Olson
- Genus Pseudonestor - parrotParrotParrots, also known as psittacines , are birds of the roughly 372 species in 86 genera that make up the order Psittaciformes, found in most tropical and subtropical regions. The order is subdivided into three families: the Psittacidae , the Cacatuidae and the Strigopidae...
-like bill, probes decomposingDecompositionDecomposition is the process by which organic material is broken down into simpler forms of matter. The process is essential for recycling the finite matter that occupies physical space in the biome. Bodies of living organisms begin to decompose shortly after death...
wood for insect larvae- Pseudonestor xanthophrys RothschildWalter Rothschild, 2nd Baron RothschildLionel Walter Rothschild, 2nd Baron Rothschild, Baron de Rothschild FRS , a scion of the Rothschild family, was a British banker, politician, and zoologist.-Biography:...
, 1893 - Maui ParrotbillMaui ParrotbillThe Maui Parrotbill or kiwikiu 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. This species is critically endangered, with an estimated...
(thought to be extinct, rediscovered in 1945)
- Pseudonestor xanthophrys Rothschild
- Genus Psittirostra - slightly hooked bill, Freycinetia arboreaFreycinetia 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 GmelinJohann Friedrich GmelinJohann Friedrich Gmelin was a German naturalist, botanist, entomologist, herpetologist and malacologist.- Education :Johann Friedrich Gmelin was born as the eldest son of Philipp Friedrich Gmelin in 1748 in Tübingen...
, 1789 - [[ʻŌʻū|Ōū]] (probably extinctHolocene extinction eventThe Holocene extinction refers to the 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 extinctions are occurring in the...
, 1998?)
- Psittirostra psittacea Gmelin
- Genus RhodacanthisRhodacanthisRhodacanthis 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 pods of legumes. The two species that became extinct in the 1890s,...
- large-billed legume specialists- Rhodacanthis flaviceps Rothschild, 1892 - Lesser Koa-finch (extinctHolocene extinction eventThe Holocene extinction refers to the 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 extinctions are occurring in the...
, 1891) - Rhodacanthis forfex James & OlsonStorrs L. 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-finchScissor-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...
(prehistoricLate Quaternary prehistoric birdsPrehistoric 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 L. 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-finchPrimitive 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...
(prehistoricLate Quaternary prehistoric birdsPrehistoric 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 (extinctHolocene extinction eventThe Holocene extinction refers to the 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 extinctions are occurring in the...
, 1896)
- Rhodacanthis flaviceps Rothschild, 1892 - Lesser Koa-finch (extinct
- Genus TelespizaTelespizaTelespiza 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 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 scavengerScavengerScavenging is both a carnivorous and herbivorous feeding behavior in which individual scavengers search out dead animal and dead plant biomass on which to feed. The eating of carrion from the same species is referred to as cannibalism. Scavengers play an important role in the ecosystem by...
s- Telespiza cantans WilsonScott Barchard 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 - Laysan FinchLaysan FinchThe Laysan Finch is a species of finch in the Hawaiian honeycreeper subfamily, Drepanidinae, 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 & OlsonStorrs L. OlsonStorrs 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 (prehistoricLate Quaternary prehistoric birdsPrehistoric 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 FinchNihoa 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...
- Telespiza ypsilon James & OlsonStorrs L. OlsonStorrs 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 FinchMaui 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...
(prehistoricLate Quaternary prehistoric birdsPrehistoric 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 cantans Wilson
- Genus XestospizaXestospizaXestospiza 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 L. OlsonStorrs 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 (prehistoricLate Quaternary prehistoric birdsPrehistoric 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 (prehistoricLate Quaternary prehistoric birdsPrehistoric 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 conica James & Olson, 1991 - Cone-billed Finch (prehistoric
- Genus Chloridops