Editor's Note: Due to a recent taxonomic revision, this species account is still being edited and may contain content from an earlier version of the account.
Editor's Note: This account covers the 4 species of ‘Ö‘ö in the Hawaiian Islands, plus the closely-related Kioea. Future revisions of this account may provide separate coverage for each species.
This large, interesting, and diverse family of nectar-feeding honeyeaters has its center of abundance in the Australo-Papuan region and was represented in the Hawaiian Islands by 5 species: Kaua‘i ‘Ö‘ö (‘Ö‘ö ‘ä‘ä) on the island of Kaua‘i, O‘ahu ‘Ö‘ö on O‘ahu, Bishop's ‘Ö‘ö on Moloka‘i, and Hawai‘i ‘Ö‘ö and closely on Hawai‘i. The Hawai‘i ‘Ö‘ö was the first Hawaiian honey-eater discovered by westerners, described from a specimen obtained in 1779 during Captain James Cook's third voyage; the other 4 species were not known to the scientific community until the mid- to late 1800s. The O‘ahu and Hawai‘i ‘ö‘ö and the Kioea are now definitely extinct, and the Kaua‘i and Bishop's ‘ö‘ö are probably extinct.
These medium-sized to large passerines have relatively slender, sharp, slightly down-curved, dark bills and specialized tubular tongues that function as straws for sucking nectar from many structurally different species of flowers. All 4 ‘ö‘ö have black plumage with discrete bright-yellow patches and feather-tufts, and 3 have distinctive color patterns on their graduated tail feathers; the Kioea has a streaked head, neck, upper back, and underparts, a black mask through the eye, and uniformly colored brown wings, lower back, and long graduated tail. The bright-yellow ‘ö‘ö feathers were prized by early Hawaiians and used in making long flowing cloaks, opulent feather capes, ornate headdresses, and royal standards (kahili) of the kings and high chiefs, as well as numerous leis and other items. Yellow ‘ö‘ö feathers were also gathered into small, loosely tied bunches as tax payments by common people to the ruling class.
All 5 of these honeyeaters were inhabitants of undisturbed native forests. They were highly vocal, having loud, distinct, pleasant, melodious repertoires. Only the voice of the Kaua‘i ‘Ö‘ö was ever recorded, archived, and published, and it is probably the only Hawaiian honeyeater that has been heard by anyone now living. Except for the Kaua‘i ‘Ö‘ö, most of our knowledge of these species is anecdotal; 3 of the 4 ‘ö‘ö species disappeared shortly after they were described. Much of the specimen material has little or no data, and only 10 O‘ahu ‘Ö‘ö and 4 Kioea study skins are known to exist in collections. Examination of a series of specimens and attached labels has revealed some unpublished information, herein presented for the first time.
The disappearance of Hawaiian honeyeaters was not well documented, but possible causes have been widely discussed. With the exception of hurricanes and other severe storms, negative factors contributing directly or indirectly to their extinction were related to the activities of native Hawaiians and Caucasians since their first contact with the islands. Negative factors have included destruction and modification of native forests; introduction of nonnative mammals to the islands (rats, Indian mongoose, pigs, cattle, sheep, goats, domestic cats) and their impacts on native forest habitats, as well as directly on the birds themselves; introduction of nonnative birds and associated diseases; introduction of mosquitoes; and exploitation of the ‘ö‘ö for feathers.
We dedicate this account to our longtime friend and colleague John L. Sinco*ck, who died in 1991 at his home in Pennsylvania. John, a Research Wildlife Biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, studied birds in Hawai‘i (including the Leeward Islands) from 1967 until his retirement in 1984. He pioneered research on Hawaiian forest birds, particularly on Kaua‘i, and spent thousands of hours in the Alaka‘i Swamp. He found the first Kaua‘i ‘Ö‘ö nest in 1971 and, subsequently, 2 others. Assisted by his wife, Renate, he secured the first photographs of the Kaua‘i ‘Ö‘ö on 31 May 1971. He subsequently took between 300 and 400 color and black-and-white photos and several hundred feet of color super-8 motion picture film of Kaua‘i ‘Ö‘ö in the Alaka‘i Swamp in the 1970s and made sound recordings in the early 1980s. John introduced all 4 of us to the Alaka‘i Swamp, enabling us to personally observe and hear what is believed to have been the last Kaua‘i ‘Ö‘ö. We rely on much of his unpublished data in this paper.
In this account, if a species is not listed under a given topic, no information is known to exist on that subject for that species. Nouns in the Hawaiian language are both singular and plural. For museum abbreviations, see Appendix 1 .
FAQs
This large, interesting, and diverse family of nectar-feeding honeyeaters has its center of abundance in the Australo-Papuan region and was represented in the Hawaiian Islands by 5 species: Kaua'i 'Ö'ö ('Ö'ö 'ä'ä) on the island of Kaua'i, O'ahu 'Ö'ö on O'ahu, Bishop's 'Ö'ö on Moloka'i, and Hawai'i 'Ö'ö and closely on ...
Why did Kauaʻi ʻōʻō go extinct? ›
The species became extinct from a large range of problems, including mosquito-transmitted diseases (which caused the species to retreat to higher ground, ultimately retreating to high-altitude montane forests in the Alakaʻi Wilderness Preserve), introduction of mammalian predators, and deforestation.
Will the Kauaʻi ʻōʻō bird come back? ›
The Kaua'i 'O'o went extinct due to a number of factors, including the introduction of non-native predators such as rats, mongooses, and pigs, mosquito-borne diseases, and habitat destruction. Map of Kauai.
What bird was just declared extinct you can hear its final song? ›
A haunting song. The last time anyone saw a confirmed Kauaʻi ʻōʻō was in 1987. Now, over 35 years later, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has acknowledged the once-flourishing Hawaiian bird is extinct, and removed it, along with 20 other species, from the Endangered Species List.
What did the Kauaʻi ʻōʻō bird eat? ›
'Ō'ō eat a variety of arthropods, snails, 'ōlapa (Cheirodendron spp.) fruits, and nectar from the flowers of 'ōhi'a (Metrosideros polymorpha), lobelia, as well as other species.
Who killed the last dodo bird? ›
No single cause drove the dodo into extinction. Humans hunted the naive birds, of course, but the rats, cats, pigs, and other animals that we brought along with us were just as destructive. The extinction of the dodo was not simply a matter of systematic extermination.
How long until Kauai disappears? ›
We know Kauai will most likely disappear completely in 1-1.5 million years, Oahu will take place as the oldest Hawaiian island, Maui will continue to reshape its landscape (with Haleakala giving it's last show of bursting lava before losing its connection to the hot spot) and Big Island volcanoes will eventually finish ...
What is the rarest bird in Kauai? ›
Puaiohi (Small Kauai Thrush): The Puaiohi is a rare thrush found only on the island of Kauai. With its dark plumage and bright yellow eyes, this bird is a symbol of the island's unique biodiversity. It resides in the dense forests of Kauai and is threatened by habitat loss and introduced predators.
Why has Hawaiʻi lost at least 50 species of birds in the last several years? ›
Key threats to the remaining species include: habitat destruction and degradation by humans and introduced ungulates, non-native diseases and predators (feral cats, barn owls, rats, and mongoose), and habitat-altering invasive plants.
What bird went extinct and came back? ›
The flightless Aldabra rail went extinct 136,000 years ago when its atoll home sank beneath the waves. Then it evolved again.
Bird thought to be extinct for 140 years has been rediscovered in the forests of Papua New Guinea. The black-naped pheasant-pigeon was documented by scientists for the first and last time in 1882, until now. A bird thought to be extinct for 140 years has been rediscovered in the forests of Papua New Guinea.
What is a 500 pound extinct bird? ›
Until about 45,000 years ago, a giant, flightless bird called Genyornis newtoni roamed Australia. Known as “Newton's thunder bird,” the species stood more than six feet tall and weighed as much as 500 pounds.
What bird is almost extinct? ›
One of the most endangered is the imperial woodpecker, which has fewer than 50 individuals remaining in the wild—in fact, the species is possibly extinct. Formerly found in forests across Mexico, the imperial woodpecker has faced hunting and deforestation to such a level that they have not been spotted since 1956.
Why did the Kauaʻi ʻōʻō go extinct? ›
The O'o has vanished forever from its native habitat on the Hawaiian island of Kaua'i, driven to extinction by habitat destruction and the introduction of predators.
What is a volcano bird? ›
Volcano birds, the megapodes, are one of the oldest living groups of birds. They are fowl and vaguely turkey-like in appearance. Their origins lie in Australia and New Guinea, and as such their history is separate from pheasants, with which they share many traits.
Why is Kauai no longer an active volcano? ›
The oldest of the major Hawaiian Islands, Kauai, doesn't have any active volcanoes because it's no longer over the Hawaiian hot spot.
How did the Kauai Akialoa go extinct? ›
Causes of the decline of this species are unknown. However, 'akialoa likely were susceptible to the same factors that threaten other native Hawaiian forest birds, including loss and degradation of habitat, predation by introduced mammals, and disease.
What causes the older Hawaiian Islands to go extinct? ›
As the volcanoes drift farther from their hot spot origin, they cool and eventually become extinct. The lithosphere on which the islands sit also cools, becoming denser. This leads to a gradual subsidence of the volcanic ridge, causing the islands to slowly sink.
