Kauaʻi nukupuʻu
| Kauaʻi nukupuʻu | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Illustration by Keulemans | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Fringillidae |
| Subfamily: | Carduelinae |
| Tribe: | Hemignathini |
| Genus: | Hemignathus |
| Species: | H. hanapepe |
| Binomial name | |
| Hemignathus hanapepe (S. B. Wilson, 1889) | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Hemignathus lucidus hanapepe | |
The Kauaʻi nukupuʻu (Hemignathus hanapepe) is a species of nukupuʻu once found throughout parts of the Hawaiian island of Kauaʻi. It is an insect eater that picks out its tiny prey from tree bark. The males are yellowish with brown wings, while the females are grayish brown with a yellow throat streak.
The species was abundant until the 19th century, when the loss of its lowland forests to slash and burn farming methods damaged its habitat. By 1889, this bird was very rare, though it could still be found in small flocks in the higher forests. Sightings took place through the 20th century. It is feared that the damage from Hurricane Iniki in 1992 created more damage to the bird's habitat, and there have been no sightings since 1996.
External links
- BirdLife International 2004. Hemignathus lucidus hanapepe. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 10 July 2007.
- "Kauaʻi Nuku Puʻu" (PDF). Hawaii’s Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy. State of Hawaiʻi. 2005-10-01.