Hoopoe-billed ʻakialoa
The hoopoe-billed ʻakialoa (Akialoa upupirostris) is an extinct species of Hawaiian honeycreeper in the subfamily Carduelinae of the family Fringillidae. It inhabited the islands of Kauaʻi and Oʻahu in Hawaii.
| Hoopoe-billed ʻakialoa Temporal range: Early Holocene | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Clade: | Dinosauria |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Fringillidae |
| Subfamily: | Carduelinae |
| Genus: | †Akialoa |
| Species: | †A. upupirostris |
| Binomial name | |
| †Akialoa upupirostris | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Hemignathus upupirostris | |
Description
Subfossil remains have been found on the Hawaiian islands of Kauaʻi and Oʻahu. The species was apparently slightly larger than others in the genus Akialoa. A similar but smaller bird from Maui has been discovered but is as yet undescribed.[2]
The specific name, upupirostris, is derived from the Latin upupa, hoopoe, and rostrum, bill, and refers to the long sickle-shaped bill which resembles that of the hoopoe.[2]
Extinction
The species presumably became extinct after the arrival of humans in Hawaii and is known only from the fossil record.[2]
References
- James, Helen F.; Olson, Storrs L (1991). "Descriptions of Thirty-Two New Species of Birds from the Hawaiian Islands: Part II. Passeriformes". Ornithological Monographs. American Ornithologists' Union. 46 (46): 39–43. doi:10.2307/40166713. JSTOR 40166713.
- Pratt, H. Douglas (2005). The Hawaiian honeycreepers: Drepanidinae. Bird Families of the World. p. 249. ISBN 978-0-19-854653-5.