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Forests with koa (Acacia koa) and ohi'a-lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha) trees. | Forests with koa (Acacia koa) and ohi'a-lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha) trees. | ||
==Behaviour== | ==Behaviour== | ||
| − | It creeps along trunks and branches. | + | It creeps along trunks and branches. |
They build their nests in branches of ohi'a-lehua trees. | They build their nests in branches of ohi'a-lehua trees. | ||
| − | The diet includes grubs and arthropods. | + | The diet includes grubs and arthropods. They utilize a woodpecker-like foraging behavior. They peck at branches with the lower mandible to expose burrowing grubs. Once the grub's burrow has been opened with the lower mandible, they use the upper mandible to probe into the burrow and extract the grub. They can often be located by listening for the sound of their pecking on koa or ohia trees. |
====Vocalisation==== | ====Vocalisation==== | ||
| − | Song is a loud, rapid-fire warble. | + | Song is a loud, rapid-fire warble. |
==External Links== | ==External Links== | ||
Revision as of 02:27, 23 April 2009
- Hemignathus munroi
Identification
Bright yellow bird with black lores, sharply curving upper mandible.
Distribution
Hawaii. Endemic to the Island of Hawai'i (Big Island). Currently only found above the elevation of approximately 5000 feet.
Taxonomy
The strict SM intrepretation of this bird is as Akiapolaau (Hemignathus wilsoni). The use of wilsoni in a broader genus Hemignathus is already preoccupied as a subspecific taxon name of Hawaii Amakihi, i.e., Hemignathus virens wilsoni. Therefore, the use of wilsoni as a specific taxon name is incorrect. The consensus in taxonomic circles is to use the specific taxon name - munroi - for this bird.
Habitat
Forests with koa (Acacia koa) and ohi'a-lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha) trees.
Behaviour
It creeps along trunks and branches.
They build their nests in branches of ohi'a-lehua trees.
The diet includes grubs and arthropods. They utilize a woodpecker-like foraging behavior. They peck at branches with the lower mandible to expose burrowing grubs. Once the grub's burrow has been opened with the lower mandible, they use the upper mandible to probe into the burrow and extract the grub. They can often be located by listening for the sound of their pecking on koa or ohia trees.
Vocalisation
Song is a loud, rapid-fire warble.
