 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Kaua`i `O`o, also known as the `O`o `a`a, is a black bird that measures approximately 8 inches long. Its belly and undertail coverts are brown, and its throat is streaked with white. Its one distinct feature is its yellow leg feathers which stands out against a black body. |
Habitat & Behavior:
The Kaua`i `O`o is found in the wet `ohi`a forests in the remote Alaka`i Swamp. It is an active bird that seems to prefer thick forests in high elevations. It is the smallest and also the only remaining of the four `O`o species in Hawai`i. This rare and possibly extinct bird feeds primarily on invertebrates like spiders, moths, and snails. They are also known to eat lobelia and `olapa fruits and `ohi`a nectar.
The Kaua`i `O`o builds its nest in dead tree cavities and has a loud “ah-o” and “whip-poor-weeo” call. It is known to be one of the finest singers of the Hawaiian birds with a variable and echoing song.
Past & Present:
The `O`o’s yellow thigh feathers were important in ancient Hawaiian culture, and the species was once found on Kaua`i, O`ahu, Hawai`i, and Moloka`i. Unfortunately, the Kaua`i `O`o may be the only remaining `O`o, and scientists fear that it also is extinct. The subspecies on the other islands were slightly larger and jet-black with yellow thigh feathers. In the 1890s, these birds could be seen from sea level to the highest mountains, but if it exists, it is now restricted to the very remote areas where humans seldom enter.
Kaua`i `O`o numbers declined drastically during the 1900s. In a 1960 bird survey, the estimated population was 36 birds; in 1981, only a pair of `O`o were found. In its last sighting in 1984, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) biologist spotted one and heard a possible second in the Alaka`i Swamp. The exact reasons for their decline are not known, but avian diseases and land clearing are believed to be major factors.
Conservation Efforts:
The Kaua`i `O`o was listed as an endangered species on March 11, 1967. The Service has written several recovery plans detailing actions necessary to protect and preserve Hawai`i’s forest birds. The Kaua`i `O`o is included in the Kaua`i Forest Birds Recovery Plan (1983).
Trivia quiz:
When was the last `O`o sighting?
[a] 1967
[b] 1971
[c] 1984
Top of Page