Biology:ʻAnianiau

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Short description: Species of bird

ʻAnianiau
Magumma parva.jpg
Female ʻAnianiau.jpg
Female ʻanianiau
Scientific classification edit
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Fringillidae
Subfamily: Carduelinae
Genus: Magumma
Mathews, 1925
Species:
M. parva
Binomial name
Magumma parva
(Stejneger, 1887)
Magumma parva range.png
Synonyms

Hemignathus parvus
Himatione parva (Stejneger, 1887)
Viridonia parva (Stejneger, 1887)

The ʻanianiau (pronounced /ˌɑːniˌɑːniˈ/) (Magumma parva) is a species of Hawaiian honeycreeper that is endemic to upper elevation forests on the island of Kauai.[2]

This species seems to be rather distantly related to the typical Hemignathini (such as the ʻamakihis and nukupuʻus). It is placed in the monotypic genus Magumma.[3]

Description

The 'anianiau is a brightly plumaged yellow bird and at 10 centimetres (3.9 in) in length, the smallest Hawaiian honeycreeper.[4] The ʻanianiau has a slightly curved bill and a mass of about 10 g.[5] The plumage of the female is more uniform and has a duller yellow-green color than the male's bright yellow.[6] Its call is a pair of notes, tew-weet, while its song is a trill of wee-see, wee-see, wee-see.

Habitat

ʻAnianiau are found in mesic and wet forests at elevations above 600 m (2,000 ft). The highest densities occur above 1,100 m (3,600 ft). Dominant tree species in its habitat include koa (Acacia koa), ʻōhiʻa lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha), ʻōlapa (Cheirodendron trigynum), and lapalapa (C. platyphyllum).[2]

Diet

The ʻanianiau mainly feeds on nectar from the flowers of plants such as ʻōhiʻa lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha), ʻōhelo (Vaccinium spp.), and ʻalani (Melicope spp.). It will also take arthropods from trees, shrubs, or vines.[2]

Breeding

Discovery

The ʻanianiau was first discovered in the 1830s, but was not seen again for another fifty years. This species was not well studied until the 1960s.

Conservation

The range of the ʻanianiau has contracted by 85%, as it previously could be found in all forests of Kauai. Habitat degradation and invasion by non-native plants are the most significant threats to this species. Mosquito-transmitted diseases, such as avian malaria and fowlpox, are very rarely observed in captured ʻanianiau, so they may not be a major cause of mortality. Predation by rats and cats is possible but has not been documented. This species is protected in the Alakai Wilderness Preserve and surrounding environs as well as Waimea Canyon[2] and Kokeʻe State Parks.[4]

References

  1. BirdLife International (2016). "Magumma parva". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T22720774A94682556. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22720774A94682556.en. https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22720774/94682556. Retrieved 12 November 2021. 
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "'Anianiau or Lesser 'Amakihi". Hawaii's Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy. State of Hawaii. October 1, 2005. http://dlnr.hawaii.gov/wildlife/files/2013/09/Fact-sheet-anianiau.pdf. 
  3. [1] Forty-ninth Supplement to the American Ornithologists’ Union Check-list of North American Birds, Banks, et al. (2008).
  4. 4.0 4.1 "Anianiau - Magumma parva". BirdLife Species Factsheet. BirdLife International. http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/species/index.html?action=SpcHTMDetails.asp&sid=8908&m=0. 
  5. "Hawaiian Bird Conservation Action Plan". Pacific Rim Conservation. http://www.pacificrimconservation.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Kauai%20honeycreepers%20multi-species.pdf. 
  6. "BirdLife International - Anianiau". BirdLife International. http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/312/articles/introduction. 

External links

Wikidata ☰ Q1308335 entry