Laysan Finch

Overview

Laysan Finch: Large, curious Hawaiian honeycreeper. Bright yellow head, neck, breast. Neck has a gray collar, belly is white. Olive back may show narrow brown streaks. Lower back, rump are gray, wings are olive to brown. Large, gray bill, black legs and feet. Prefers to run or hop along the ground.

Range and Habitat

Laysan Finch: Endemic to Laysan Island. Prefers heavily forested areas.

INTERESTING FACTS

The song of the Laysan Finch has been described as "canary-like", for this reason it is sometimes called the Laysan Canary.
They are also often called Hawaiian Finches, a name that while old now more closely reflects their recent classification as Fringilidae by the AOU.
Rabbits were introduced to Laysan Island in 1903, they devoured the vegetation causing the numbers of this bird to drop to around 100; other endemic species became extinct. These birds survived the lean times by eating eggs and dead birds.
A group of honeycreepers are collectively known as a "hive" of honeycreepers.