Hemignathus
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Hawaiian Akialoa ( Hemignathus obscurus ) |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Hemignathus | ||||||||||||
| Lichtenstein , 1839 |
Hemignathus (Greek for "half jaw") are a genus of small to very largehoneycreeper birds thatare endemicto the Hawaiian Islands. They are characterized by more or less long, downwardly curved, sharp-pointed beaks. Their size differs greatly, but the ridge of the beak is always curved and the lower jaw, with one exception, is always arched in profile. The back plumage is olive green in the adult birds of all species. The underside is yellowish to olive green. The narrow reins are dark gray to black. The beak is dark brownish gray to black, often with a light blue base. The females differ from the males by their blunt plumage. The immature birds are greenish-gray on the top and dirty white on the underside with pale wing bands. The food spectrum of Hemignathus varies from vegetable food to nectar to insectfood. The singing can consist of short, fairly steady trills or flutes, as well as more complex chirps.
Systematics
Within the genus Hemignathus , a distinction is made between the three subgenera Hemignathus ( sensu stricto ), Akialoa and Heterorhynchus . Chlorodrepanis and Viridonia are former subgenera. Magumma was raised to an independent genus by the AOU in 2008 with the yellow-clad bird ( Magumma parva ) as the only species.
Hemignathus ( "in the strict sense" )
This subgenus is characterized by pointed, long and downwardly curved beaks. Their food spectrum includes nectar and insects, and smaller vertebrates are also preyed on. A characteristic hunting behavior in ( H. lucidus ) applies to insect larvae hidden under tree bark: the bark is opened with the lower beak, the prey is brought out with the fine long upper beak.
- Kauai Amakihi hunter, Hemignathus kauaiensis . Distribution: Kauai (temporarily in its own subgenus Chlorodrepanis, synonym: Chlorodrepanis stejnegeri )
- Oahu amakihi hippopotamus Hemignathus flavus . Distribution: Oahu (temporarily in its own subgenus Chlorodrepanis, synonyms: Chlorodrepanis flava , Viridonia chloris , Nectarinia flava , Hemignathus chloris )
- Hawaiian amakihi hawk, Hemignathus virens . Distribution: Hawaii (temporarily in its own subgenus Chlorodrepanis, synonyms: Chlorodrepanis virens , Certhia virens )
- † Hermit green-clad bird ( Hemignathus sagittirostris ). Distribution: Hawaii (temporarily in its own subgenus Viridonia) (extinct in 1901)
- † Hemignathus vorpalis . Distribution: Hawaii (known only from subfossil material)
- † Oahu sickle-winged bird, Hemignathus lucidus . Distribution: Oahu (extinct in 1837)
- † (?) Maui sickle-winged bird Hemignathus affinis . Distribution: Maui (probably extinct, last reliable record 1995)
- † (?) Kauai sickle- winged bird Hemignathus hanapepe . Distribution: Kauai (Probably extinct, last reliable record 1995)
Akialoa
Formerly considered as a separate genre. Characterized by long, downwardly curved beaks. Mainly nectar eaters.
- † Oahu-Akialoa Hemignathus ellisianus (synonym: Hemignathus lichtensteini ). Distribution: Oahu (last reliable sighting was in 1892)
- † Kauai Akialoa Hemignathus ellisianus stejnegeri . Distribution: Kauai (formerly considered a separate species) (last seen in 1965)
- † Lanai Akialoa Hemignathus ellisianus lanaiensis . Distribution: Lanai (formerly considered a separate species) (the last reliable sighting was 1894)
- † Hawaiian Akialoa Hemignathus obscurus . Distribution: Hawaii (extinct 1940)
- † Hemignathus upupirostris . Distribution: Kauai and Oahu (only known from subfossil material)
An undescribed species that has similarities in its beak morphology to Hemignathus upupirostris is known to be subfossilized from the island of Maui.
Heterorhynchus
Formerly considered as a separate genre. The upper bill is long and curved downwards, the lower bill short and strong. The main food consists of insects.
- Hawaiian sickle bird or Akiapolaau Hemignathus munroi (synonyms: Hemignathus wilsoni , Heterorhynchus wilsoni ). Distribution: Hawaii
literature
- Pratt, Harold Douglas: The Hawaiian Honeycreepers . Oxford University Press, 2005, ISBN 978-0-19-854653-5 .
- Pratt, Harold Douglas: A New Genus for the Hawai'i Creeper, with Comments on Generic Limits among Insectivorous Hawaiian Honeycreepers In: 'Elepaio - Journal of the Hawaii Audubon Society. Issue 69. Number October 7, 2009.
- Reding, DM, JT Foster, HF James, HD Pratt, and RC Fleischer (2009): Convergent evolution of 'creepers' in the Hawaiian honeycreeper radiation . In Biological Letters No. 5: pp. 221-222.
