Tag Archives: Mohoidae

Chaetoptila sp. ‘O’ahu’

Oahu Kioea (Chaetoptila sp.)  

The Oahu Kioea is known only from subfossil remains that were found on the island of O’ahu, Hawaiian Islands.

The species has not been described yet, but appears to have been distinct from the historically known Hawaiian Kioea. [1] 

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References:  

[1] S. L. Olson; H. F. James: Descriptions of thirty-two new species of birds from the Hawaiian Islands: Part II. Passeriformes. Ornithological Monographs 45: 1-91. 1991

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edited: 13.09.2020

Chaetoptila sp. ‘narrow-billed’

Narrow-billed Kioea (Chaetoptila sp.)  

The Narrow-billed Kioea is known from subfossil bones that were found on the island of Maui, Hawaiian Islands.

The species had a much narrower bill than the Hawaiian Kioe, with which it occurred sympatrically (at least if the form known as Chaetoptila sp. ‘Maui Nui’ indeed turns out to be identical with this species) [1]. 

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References:  

[1] S. L. Olson; H. F. James: Descriptions of thirty-two new species of birds from the Hawaiian Islands: Part II. Passeriformes. Ornithological Monographs 45: 1-91. 1991

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edited: 13.09.2020 

Chaetoptila angustipluma (Peale)

Kioea (Chaetoptila angustipluma)  

The Kioea was the largest of the pseudo-honeyeaters (Mohoidae) that were endemic to the Hawaiian Islands, this species is – at least historically – known only from the biggest island, Hawai’i itself. It might formerly have been more widely distributed since subfossil remains that probably can be assigned to this species have been found on Maui. 

The species reached a size of 32 cm, it was more or less olive-green colored with most of the feathers being decorated with a light tip which gave the bird a heaviliy spotted apearance.

The Kioea was a nectar-feeding species and was described as having been a quite aggresive bird commonly chasing away other nectar-feeding bird species from its preferred flowers. 

The species was last seen in 1859.

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Depiction from: ‘W. Rothschild: The Avifauna of Laysan and the neighbouring islands with a complete history to date of the birds of the Hawaiian possession. 1893-1900’      

(public domain)

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edited: 13.09.2020

Chaetoptila sp. ‘Maui Nui’

Maui Nui Kioea (Chaetoptila sp.)  

This form, which either was closely related to – or maybe more probably identical with the Hawaiian Kioea (Chaetoptila angustipluma (Peale)), is only known from subfossil remains which were found on the island of Maui. [2]

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„Habitat Hawaii and Molokai.”  

(source: Sanford B. Dole: List of Birds of the Hawaiian Islands. Hawaiian Almanac and Annual. 41-58. 1879) [1]

This tiny footnote attached to a description of the Hawaiian Kioea, might have based on the confusion with another species called Kioea by the Hawaiians, the Bristle Curlew (Numenius tahitensis Gmelin), but I personally think this is rather unlikely.  

So there is a slight possibility that the Kioea, or Narrow-feathered Honeyeater (or a very similar species) survived on Moloka’i Island into the 19th century. 

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References:  

[1] Sanford B. Dole: List of Birds of the Hawaiian Islands. Hawaiian Almanac and Annual. 41-58. 1879 
[2] S. L. Olson; H. F. James: Descriptions of thirty-two new species of birds from the Hawaiian Islands: Part II. Passeriformes. Ornithological Monographs 45: 1-91. 1991

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edited: 13.09.2020