The Kauaʻi ʻamakihi (''Chlorodrepanis stejnegeri'') is a species of

Hawaiian honeycreepers Hawaiian honeycreepers are a group of small birds endemic to Hawaii. They are members of the finch family Fringillidae, closely related to the rosefinches (''Carpodacus''), but many species have evolved features unlike those present in any othe ...

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

Kauaʻi Kauai (), anglicized as Kauai ( or ), is one of the main Hawaiian Islands. It has an area of 562.3 square miles (1,456.4 km2), making it the fourth-largest of the islands and the 21st-largest island in the United States. Kauai lies 73 mi ...

in the family

Fringillidae The true finches are small to medium-sized passerine birds in the family Fringillidae. Finches generally have stout conical bills adapted for eating seeds and nuts and often have colourful plumage. They occupy a great range of habitats where the ...

. The species Hawaiian name is associated with is Kihikihi, or kihi, which stems from the word amakihi. Kihikihi, meaning curved, makes a reference to the bill of the Kauaʻi ʻamakihi. The Kauaʻi ʻamakihi has similar physical features to an

extinct Extinction is the termination of an organism by the death of its Endling, last member. A taxon may become Functional extinction, functionally extinct before the death of its last member if it loses the capacity to Reproduction, reproduce and ...

species, the

Kauaʻi nukupuʻu The Kauai nukupuu (''Hemignathus hanapepe'') is an extinct species of nukupuʻu once found throughout parts of the Hawaiian island of Kauai. It was an insect eater that picked out its tiny prey from tree bark. The males were yellowish with brow ...

. When flying or feeding, the Kaua’i ‘amakihi lets out a distinguishing tweet.

Distribution

This species is

to the island of Kauaʻi The Kaua‘i ‘amakihi resides in the higher elevations of the Kaua‘i mountains usually above 600 meters in elevation. They previously occurred at lower elevations, but due to the loss of habitat, are now mostly found at elevations higher than 600 meters in mountainous areas. They are known to be around ‘ōhi‘a and

koa KOA (short for Kampgrounds of America) is an American franchise of privately owned campgrounds. Having more than 500 locations across the United States and Canada, it is the world's largest system of privately owned campgrounds. It was founded ...

trees. They are especially common in ōhi'a trees where they often nest and in ōhi'a forests. They can be spotted at Waimea Canyon, Nā Pali Plateau, Alaka‘i Swamp, and Makaleha Mountains.

Anatomy

This species has a greenish-yellow with black lores and a large, sickle-shaped, down curved beak. Males usually have bigger beaks and more color compared to the females which have smaller beaks and a more dull color. More dull feathers and a bigger beaks distinguishes the Kaua‘i ‘amakihi from the other ʻamakihi species.

Conservation

The Kauaʻi ʻamakihi has been categorized as vulnerable by

Bird Life International BirdLife International is a global partnership of non-governmental organizations that strives to conserve birds and their habitats. BirdLife International's priorities include preventing extinction of bird species, identifying and safeguarding i ...

. While their population numbers have been steady, like other honeycreepers, the Kauaʻi ʻamakihi is threatened by

habitat loss Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss or habitat reduction) occurs when a natural habitat is no longer able to support its native species. The organisms once living there have either moved elsewhere, or are dead, leading to a decrease ...

invasive species An invasive species is an introduced species that harms its new environment. Invasive species adversely affect habitats and bioregions, causing ecological, environmental, and/or economic damage. The term can also be used for native spec ...

, and

avian malaria Avian malaria is a parasitic disease of birds, caused by parasite species belonging to the genera ''Plasmodium'' and '' Hemoproteus'' (phylum Apicomplexa, class Haemosporidia, family Plasmoiidae). The disease is transmitted by a dipteran vector in ...

, but has not been affected as strongly as other species in the subfamily.

References

External links

Species factsheet
- BirdLife International
Videos, photos and sounds
- Internet Bird Collectio Hawaiian honeycreepers Chlorodrepanis Biota of Kauai Endemic birds of Hawaii Birds described in 1989 Taxa named by Scott Barchard Wilson Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{fringillidae-stub