TheMaui Nui ʻakialoaorLānaʻi ʻakialoa(Akialoa lanaiensis) is an extinct species ofHawaiian honeycreeperin the subfamilyCarduelinaeof the familyFringillidae.It inhabited the islands ofMaui,Lānaʻi,andMolokaʻiinHawaii.[1]
| Maui Nui ʻakialoa | |
|---|---|
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| Illustration byJohn Gerrard Keulemans | |
Scientific classification
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Fringillidae |
| Subfamily: | Carduelinae |
| Genus: | †Akialoa |
| Species: | †A. lanaiensis
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| Binomial name | |
| †Akialoa lanaiensis (Rothschild,1893)
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| Synonyms | |
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Hemignathus ellisiana lanaiensis | |
Description and habitat
editThe Maui Nui ʻakialoa was a grayish-yellow bird. It was six inches long, with a bill that was an inch and a half in length. It used its long bill to probe bark in search ofinsectsand probe flowers in search ofnectar.[1]
It is known from three specimens collected on the island ofLānaʻiin 1892. It is also known from fossils onMolokaʻiandMaui.It lived in forests above 200 m of elevation.[1]
Extinction
editThe Maui Nui ʻakialoa was driven to extinction byhabitat destructionand disease.Invasive speciesmay also have been a factor.[1]
References
edit- ^abcdeBirdLife International (2017)."Akialoa lanaiensis".IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.2017:e.T103823431A119549974.doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T103823431A119549974.en.Retrieved16 November2021.
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