Akikiki
Oreomystis bairdi
A small, very rare Hawaiian honeycreeper of remote native forests on Kauai. Declining rapidly; found only above 4,000 feet elevation in the eastern ‘Alaka’i Plateau. Gray above and whitish below with a pink bill and a short tail. Juveniles have white spectacles. Forages by creeping on branches, rarely in foliage. Its rarely-heard song is a high, even trill and the call is a soft “squeet.” Careful observations are needed to distinguish this species from other small honeycreepers.
Identification
The ʻakikiki is small (13 cm length; 12-17 g mass), with gray plumage above and white below. It is not sexually dimorphic. Juveniles have large white eye rings; adults may retain a pale eyebrow for several years. Legs and bill are pink. The tail is short compared to other birds on Kauaʻi, giving it a stocky appearance.
Taxonomy
Although the taxonomic affinities of Oreomystis remain uncertain, some phylogenetic evidence indicates that it is most closely allied with the ʻalauahios (Paroreomyza). Together, they form the second most basal recent lineage within the Hawaiian honeycreepers aside from the recently-extinct poʻouli (Melamprosops phaeosoma), and the most basal extant lineage. However, other studies support it being slightly more derived than Paroreomyza.
- Scientific name
- Oreomystis bairdi
- Authority
- (Stejneger, 1887)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Fringillidae
- Genus
- Oreomystis
Range and habitat
It is currently found only in the highest elevation native rainforests of Kokeʻe State Park and the Alakaʻi Wilderness Preserve on Kauaʻi. Subfossil records indicate that it was once found at sea level as well, and thus may have inhabited a wider range of habitats, including dry forest.
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
The ʻakikiki has been listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List since 2000. It has been a candidate for listing as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act since 1993, but was not listed as such until 2010. Because little is known about this species, the primary focus of recovery efforts so far have been estimating the population size and understanding its basic biology. Captive breeding, reintroduction, and habitat restoration are planned. <p>An extremely steep decline was noted between 2018 and 2021 in Halehaha, one of the species' former strongholds, with the population declining from 70 to 5 individuals, leaving only 45 wild individuals overall. This decline has been blamed on climate change allowing the mosquitoes carrying avian malaria to invade higher elevations. In addition, it has been predicted that at the current decline rate, the species will likely go extinct in the wild by 2023. About 41 captive individuals exist, although only a limited amount of offspring have been produced. It is currently planned to keep a significant number of ʻakikiki in captivity until landscape-scale control of mosquitoes using Wolbachia can be performed starting in 2024 at the earliest, after which the birds could be reintroduced to their habitat.<p>In May 2015, a high-school teacher in Tamil Nadu, India named Prakash Vaithyanathan suggested that the International Astronomical Union name a celestial body Akikiki during the 2015 IAU General Assembly conducted in Hawaii. After much consideration, asteroid number 7613 was officially named 7613 ʻAkikiki.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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A medium-sized woodcreeper, found primarily in western Amazonia, south of the Amazon river. Lacks any truly distinctive visual features. Shows variable buffy streaking on head, back, and breast, and a scaly buffy throat. Bill is rather straight and typically dark grayish or silvery. Most easily identified by voice, a descending series of rather nasal notes, sometimes with a stuttered pattern. Typically seen singly or in pairs, often accompanying mixed-species flocks in the understory or mid-levels. Occurs in the lowlands and into the foothills of the Andes, usually in mature forest.
Buru Dwarf-Kingfisher
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Circaetus beaudouini
Chunky dark brown raptor with a white belly marked by thin bars. Immatures are brown when perched, and show rufous patches in the underwing in flight. Found in savanna habitats. Soars frequently and sometimes hovers. Very similar to Short-toed Snake-Eagle, but has darker upperparts and narrower dark bars on the belly; the front of the underwings looks white and unbarred in flight. Immature similar to immature Black-breasted and Short-toed Snake-Eagles, but identified by the rufous patches on the underwings.
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