Maui ʻalauahio

The Maui ʻalauahio (Paroreomyza montana), also known as the Maui Nui ʻalauahio or Maui creeper, is a species of Hawaiian honeycreeper. It is endemic to Maui Nui, Hawaii. The name Maui ʻalauahio is somewhat misleading because the species seems to have occurred on most, if not all, parts of the ancient Maui Nui, which includes the present day islands of Maui, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi, and Kahoʻolawe. There are two subspecies: the Lānaʻi ʻalauahio, P. montana montana, which occurred on Lānaʻi (extinct); and P. montana newtoni which occurs on Maui. The common name refers to both groups.

Maui ʻAlauahio
Maui ʻalauahio at Haleakalā National Park
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Fringillidae
Subfamily: Carduelinae
Genus: Paroreomyza
Species:
P. montana
Binomial name
Paroreomyza montana
(Wilson, 1889)

Description

The Maui ʻalauahio is similar to the Hawaiʻi ʻamakihi in appearance and behavior. However, Maui ʻalauahio are a brighter yellow color, have a less curved bill and do not have prominent black lores (area between the bill and the eye).[2]

Song

The Maui ʻalauahio call is a loud "cheep", and their song consists of a repeated whistled phrase "whichy-wheesee-whurdy-whew".[3]

Diet

Maui ʻalauahio are insectivorous and forage along trunks and branches flipping over lichen and bark in search of insects. They eat moths, beetles, spiders, leafhoppers, lacewings, and ichneumonid wasps.[3] They forage on native plants including ʻōhiʻa, koa, pilo, alani, ʻōhelo, kōlea, pūkiawe, and ʻōlapa.[3]

Breeding

The breeding season for Maui ʻalauahio is March - August.[3][4] They are monogamous and often are assisted by the non-breeding second year offspring at the nest. The nest helpers assist the male with feeding the female during incubation, as well as feeding the chicks, usually by regurgitation.[3] Maui ʻalauahio young may stay with parents for up to 20 months, and then breed in their third year.[3][4] Interestingly, there are fewer Maui ʻalauahio pairs documented with nest helpers in disturbed habitats (20-30%) than native plant habitat (96%).[3]

Habitat and distribution

Currently, Maui ʻalauahio are restricted to three populations above 900 m (2,952 feet) elevation on east Maui.[3] These populations occur in three diverse habitats that are in the range of conservation managed areas, including the rainforest belt of Halealakā National Park, a forestry plantation, and a relic dry forest.[4] Maui ʻalauahio can be seen at Hosmer's Grove at Haleakalā National Park and Polipoli Springs State Recreation Area.

Conservation

Maui ʻalauahioʻs range is restricted and threatened by habitat loss. Many factors contribute towards its habitat loss, including degradation from feral ungulates, and the introduction of invasive plants, like strawberry guava, that impact habitat diversity and quality.[5] The species is also limited to higher elevations due to itʻs high susceptibility to avian malaria with a 75% mortality rate after exposure to an infected mosquito bite.[6]

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References
  1. "Paroreomyza montana". BirdLife International 2016. 2016. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22720818A94684594.en. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  2. "Maui ʻAlauahio". Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
  3. Pratt, H. Doug (2005). The Hawaiian Honeycreepers: Drepanidinae. Oxford University Press.
  4. del Hoyo, Josep; Elliot, Andrew; Christie, David, eds. (2010). Handbook of the Birds of the World: Weavers to New World Warblers. Lynx Edicions.
  5. "Paroreomyza montana". BirdLife International 2016. 2016. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22720818A94684594.en. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  6. "Ecology and Diagnosis of Introduced Avian Malaria in Hawaiian Forest Birds" (PDF). U.S. Geological Surveuy. December 2005. Retrieved 5 July 2019.


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