ʻAkohekohe

ʻĀkohekohe
Conservation status
Critically Endangered (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Suborder:	Passeri
Parvorder:	Passerida
Family:	Fringillidae
Subfamily:	Drepanidinae
Tribe:	Drepanidini
Genus:	Palmeria Rothschild, 1893
Species:	P. dolei
Binomial name
Palmeria dolei (Wilson, 1891)

The ʻĀkohekohe (Palmeria dolei) or Crested Honeycreeper is a species of Hawaiian honeycreeper. It is endemic to the island of Maui in Hawaiʻi. Its natural habitat is wet forests dominated by koa (Acacia koa) and ʻōhiʻa lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha) on the windward side of Haleakalā at elevations of 4,200 to 7,100 feet (1,300 to 2,200 m). It is the largest honeycreeper on the island at 6.5 to 7 inches (17 to 18 cm) in length.^[2] The adults are a glossy black with whitish feathers and stripes going down its side. The underparts are whitish black while the top has orange feathers sticking from wings. The feathers behind the eyes are a reddish color, and have a stream of cream colored feathers coming from the eyes. One of the things that most people recognize about this bird is its whitish gold colored feather crest on its head. The younger birds are brownish black and they do not have the orangish feathers of the parents. The legs and bills are a blackish color. It has a variety of songs. The most well known of the calls is a pair of “whee-o, whee-o”, being repeated over and over again. Also another well known song is a descending thrill which is done about five seconds apart. It songs include a low chuckling sound, “tjook, tjook, chouroup” or a rarer song, “hur-hur-hur-gluk-gluk-gluk”. During a search for the species in the East Maui forests, there were a record of 415 observations over an area of 11,000 acres (45 km²) and at elevations from 4,200 to 7,100 feet (1,300 to 2,200 m) above sea level. It has been estimated that there are a total of 3,800 ʻakohekohe left on Maui in two populations separated by the Koʻolau Gap.

Diet

The ʻĀkohekohe is a nectarivore that feeds on the flowers of ʻōhiʻa lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha) high up in the canopy. It is an aggressive bird and will drive away competing nectarivores, such as the related ʻapapane and ʻiʻiwi. When ʻōhiʻa lehua blossoms are limited, it will eat insects, fruit, and nectar from other plants. The ʻĀkohekohe will forage in the understory if necessary, where food plants include ʻākala (Rubus hawaiensis).^[2]

Threats

The ʻĀkohekohe currently survives only on Maui, but also lived on the eastern side of the island of Molokaʻi until 1907. This bird was common on both islands at the start of the 20th century. It was thought to be extinct after that however in 1945 a small population was discovered in the NAR or National Area Reserve on Halakea in Maui. Over the course of the millennia, this species has been getting rarer and rarer. The first inhabitants, the Polynesians have been changing the land to fit them. A lot of forest was cut down to create good farmland. When the Europeans arrived, many more factors had arrived and the loss of land and this species had increased. People had brought with them three species of rats. These species are attacking the eggs, chicks, and adults of many species of birds. They are also eating the food of many of these birds. The ʻĀkohekohe’s unusual looks made it very desirable to collectors. In the 1900s, mosquitoes were introduced and inflicted powerful diseases on the birds, which have almost no resistance to. The last but not least is the release of many species of animals which are not native to Hawaii. Many of these creatures are birds which compete with the ones that already lived here for food, water, shelter and a place to raise their young.

Conservation

According to the Federal Endangered Species Act, this bird is protected by law along with its habitat. The bird was put into the act in March 1967. It was also a part of many other documents including the Maui-Molokai Forest Bird Recovery Plan in 1967, by the Fish and Wildlife Service. It will serve as a guideline to protect the indigenous life of Maui and Molokaʻi. The final recovery plan in 1984 continues the last, keeping eyes on the species and eradicate any ungulates that were introduced into the area that can harm and or disturb the ʻākohekohe and other native Forest Birds in Maui’s Forests.

References

1. ^ BirdLife International (2009). "Palmeria dolei". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2009.2. International Union for Conservation of Nature. http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/149632. Retrieved 30 January 2010. 
2. ^ ^{a b} "Crested Honeycreeper (Palmeria dolei)". Native Forest Birds of Hawaiʻi. Conservation Hawaii. http://www.state.hi.us/dlnr/dofaw/consrvhi/forestbirds/akohekohe.html. Retrieved 2009-02-06. 

External links

• BirdLife Species Factsheet.
• ʻAkohekohe videos, photos and sounds on the Internet Bird Collection