Hawaii Amakihi
Overview
Hawaii Amakihi: Also known as the Common Amakihi. Upperparts are yellow-green and underparts are yellow. Lores are black, bill is black and decurved. Wings and tail are olive-gray. Legs and feet are gray. Flight is strong and direct in the forest canopy, may undulate over long distances.
Range and Habitat
Hawaii Amakihi: Found on Hawaii and Maui, rare on Molokai. Lives in both wet and dry native forests in low and high elevations.
INTERESTING FACTS
The Hawaiian name Amakihi is derived from the word kihi or kihikihi, meaning curved.
This honeycreeper is a member of the Finch rather than the Tanager family, where honeycreepers found in Central and South America are currently placed.
It is one of the most common honeycreepers, and may be evolving resistance to diseases like Avian Malaria.
A group of honeycreepers are collectively known as a "hive" of honeycreepers.
The Hawaii Amakihi has a modest range of approximately twenty thousand to fifty thousand square kilometers. It is native to the United States and to the Hawaiian Islands in particular. This bird prefers forest ecological systems that are subtropical or tropical. The population of the Hawaiian Amakihi has not been determined fully, but the species is not believed to meet population decline criteria that would necessitate inclusion on the IUCN Red List and has an evaluation level of Least Concern.
|