Alternative name Hawaiian Monarch
- Chasiempis sandwichensis
Identification
12cm.
- Brown above
- White below
- White rump
- Dark wings with white bars
- Long brown black tail
Juvenile
- Brown
There is variation in colour amongst the subspecies.
Distribution
Taxonomy
Five subspecies are recognized:
- C.s. sandwichensis
- C.s. bryani
- C.s. ridgwayi
- C.s. sclateri
- C.s. gayi
The first three forms belong to the island of Hawaii, sclateri to Kauai while gayi is found on Oahu. The forms on the three islands have been accepted as full species by the NACC; Opus awaits the position of the world wide checklists.
Habitat
Forests.
Behaviour
The diet includes insects and spiders.
They build small cup-shaped nests from grasses, rootlets, and lichens, held together by spider webs. 2 eggs are laid and incubated for 18 days.
Vocalisation
Squeaky/wheezy voice resembles a "rubber ducky". Calls include repeated squeaky agitated muttering, barks/shouts ("CHUP! CHUP! CHUP!"), wheezy "WHEEE-oh" "WUH WHEEE-oh" calls, developing into longer whistled calls which can occasionally sound like el-e-pai-o.
References
- Clements, JF. 2009. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2009. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
Native Birds of Hawaii
