| Kauaʻi ʻōʻō Temporal range: Neogene to Late Quaternary (1987 AD) | |
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| Final photo of the bird before its extinction | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukarya |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | †Mohoidae |
| Genus: | †Moho Cassin, 1855 |
| Species: | †Moho braccatus |
Kauaʻi ʻōʻō (Moho braccatus) is an extinct species of ʻōʻōs that is native to the island of Kauaʻi. It is the last member of the ʻōʻō genus, with the death of the last male Kauaʻi ʻōʻō marking the full extinction of the entire Mohoidae family.
Description[]
One of the smallest of ʻōʻōs, the Kauaʻi ʻōʻō was about 20 cm (8 in) in length. The head, wings, and tail were black, with the other upper parts being slaty brown, turning rufous on the flanks and rump. The throat and breast were black with white barring, which was prominent on females. There was a small tuft of gray feathers under the wing, and it also had long central tail feathers. The beak and legs were black, but the leg feathers were a golden yellow. It was the only ʻōʻō to have yellow irises. The Kauaʻi ʻōʻō also had a slightly curved bill.
Ecology[]
Kauaʻi ʻōʻō usually consumed nectar, mainly via its curved bill. The favorite food sources of the Kauaʻi ʻōʻō were the Lobelia genus and M. polymorpha. Kauaʻi ʻōʻō were also observed eating small invertebrates and fruit.
Extinction[]
The Kauaʻi ʻōʻō is the last member of the Mohoidae family, with all its other relatives having previously gone extinct due to a number of factors; namely the introduction of invasive mammalian species such as rats, pigs, and mongooses, gradual habitat loss due to deforestation, overhunting, and mosquito-transmitted diseases that included avian malaria. Avian malaria itself is a major contributor to the Kauaʻi ʻōʻō's eventual extinction, as it forced the species to retreat to higher-altitude montane forests. The species had a mere 34 surviving individuals as of the early 1960's. The eventual causes of extinction for the Kauaʻi ʻōʻōs are the two hurricanes Iwa and Iniki, who each occurred within ten years of eachother. The destruction of the remaining trees with cavities dealt damage to the Kauaʻi ʻōʻō species that can never be recovered from. Eventually, by the late 1980's, the last surviving member of the species died, marking the end of the entire family of Hawaiian honeyeaters.
In Popular Culture[]
- Videos of the last Kauaʻi ʻōʻō calls have gone viral online in multiple cases.
Gallery[]
