4 Extinct Birds of Oahu
AmauiMyadestes woahensisThe Amaui was an endemic Oahu bird seen by Bloxam in 1825, and at the time it was a common bird. Fossil remains have been found on Oahu.
The Amaui went extinct because of forest logging by the Polynesians, which led to habitat destruction. Avian malaria was also a likely causal factor as Europeans brought non-native birds to Hawaii. |
Oahu OoMoho apicalisAnother Oahu endemic, the Oahu Oo, has gone extinct because of forest habitat loss and introduced diseases from mosquitoes. The species was prized by Hawaiian nobility, who used their feathers for robe decorations. The last species sighting was in 1837, and it was not seen again when collectors visited Oahu in the 1890s.
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Greater AkialoaHemignathus ellisianusThe Greater Akialoa was endemic to Hawaii but is extinct because of habitat destruction (forest logging and hurricane destruction) and diseases. The species lived in forests above 200m and ate insects and nectar. The Greater Akialoa was last observed on Kaua'i in 1969.
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