'Ula 'Ai Hawane
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| iʻUla-ʻai-hawane | ||||||||||||||
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| Ciridops anna (Dole, 1879) |
The ʻUla-ʻai-Hawane (Ciridops anna) was a small Hawaiʻian Honeycreeper, now extinct. The term ʻUla-ʻai-Hawane is a Hawaiʻian phrase translating to "red [bird] that eats hawane". It was only ever reported from the forested mountains of the Kohala, Hilo and Kona districts on the island of Hawaiʻi. Fossil remains reveal that it (and at least one closely related species, Ciridops tenax) also existed at one time on other Hawaiʻian islands.
[edit] Description
The average length of the bird was around 11 cm (4¼"). With respect to coloring, the adult was patterned red overall, while the head, throat, and upper back were silvery gray. The crown, wings, breast, shoulder, and tail were black, and the tertials a white color. The legs and bill were yellowish. Immature birds were brownish overall with a bluish-gray breast, black wings and tail, and a greenish-brown back.
[edit] Extinction
ʻUla-ʻai-Hawane are thought to have fed on the seeds and flowers of the loulu palms Pritchardia affinis, P. beccariana, P. lanigera and P. schattaueri. The bird's name suggests it liked the unripe fruits (hawane) particularly well. The decline of these palms may have sealed the fate of the bird. As the ʻUla-ʻai-Hawane was only ever seen near loulu palms, it is assumed that they were fully dependent on them for survival. The last confirmed sighting of the bird was in the Kohala Mountains in 1892.
[edit] References
- BirdLife International (2004). Ciridops anna. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is listed as extinct
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