Greater Amakihi (Viridonia sagittirostris)
The so called Greater Amakihi, which is also known as Green Solitaire, was endemic to the island of Hawai’i, and was already restricted to a tiny area in the coastal rain forest of the Hamakua District in northeastern Hawai’i, when it was first discovered in 1892.
The bird reached a size of about 17 cm, both sexes were mainly bright olive-green, with narrow black lores, the black beak was long, nearly straight, and sharp-pointed, the bases of the mandibles were light blue.
Its food consisted mostly of insects, which the bird found while probing into bark crevices and leaf axils. [1]
***
Even though the Greater Amakihi superficially resembles the Amakihi (Hemignathus virens (Gmelin)), both species are/were not closely related, the Greater Amakihi does not belong in the genus Hemignathus but is more closely related to the extinct genus Aidemedia. [1]
*********************
References:
[1] H. Douglas Pratt: The Hawaiian Honeycreepers: Drepanidinae. Oxford Univ. Pr. 2005
*********************
(public domain)
*********************
edited: 24.09.2017