Anianiau
Magumma parva
A small Hawaiian honeycreeper of high elevation native forests on Kauai. Males are bright yellow and females are yellowish green. Smaller than the Kauai Amakihi with a straighter bill and without the faint black line between the bill and the eye. Moves quickly and incessantly in the understory and forest canopy in search of nectar, insects, and fruit. Fairly common in more remote areas of the eastern Alakai Plateau; uncommon to rare in the western Alakai and Kokee State Park. Song is a trill consisting of paired notes “weesee-weesee-weesee.” Call is a soft upslurred “su-weet.”
Identification
The 'anianiau is a brightly plumaged yellow bird and at 10 centimetres (3.9 in) in length, the smallest Hawaiian honeycreeper. The ʻanianiau has a slightly curved bill and a mass of about 10 g. The plumage of the female is more uniform and has a duller yellow-green color than the male's bright yellow. Its call is a pair of notes, tew-weet, while its song is a trill of wee-see, wee-see, wee-see.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Magumma parva
- Authority
- (Stejneger, 1887)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Fringillidae
- Genus
- Magumma
Range and habitat
ʻAnianiau are found in mesic and wet forests at elevations above 600 m (2,000 ft). The highest densities occur above 1,100 m (3,600 ft). Dominant tree species in its habitat include koa (Acacia koa), ʻōhiʻa lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha), ʻōlapa (Cheirodendron trigynum), and lapalapa (C. platyphyllum).
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
The range of the ʻanianiau has contracted by 85%, as it previously could be found in all forests of Kauai. Habitat degradation and invasion by non-native plants are the most significant threats to this species. Mosquito-transmitted diseases, such as avian malaria and fowlpox, are very rarely observed in captured ʻanianiau, so they may not be a major cause of mortality. Predation by rats and cats is possible but has not been documented. This species is protected in the Alakai Wilderness Preserve and surrounding environs as well as Waimea Canyon and Kokeʻe State Parks.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
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