Palila
Palila | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Passeriformes |
Family: | Fringillidae |
Subfamily: | Carduelinae |
Genus: | Loxioides |
Species: | L. bailleui
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Binomial name | |
Loxioides bailleui Oustalet, 1877
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Black: Extinct Green: Current range | |
Synonyms | |
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The palila (Loxioides bailleui) is a
Taxonomy
The Hawaiian honeycreepers (Drepanididae) are sometimes included in the true
Description
The palila has a yellow head and breast, with white to light gray
There is some sexual dimorphism. Males tend to have brighter colors overall, as well as clear-cut black lores. The corresponding area contrasts less with the dirty-yellow heads in the marginally smaller females.
The bird's song is inconspicuous, containing whistling, warbling and trilling notes. The call is characteristic, however, being a clear, bell-like whistle, chee-clee-o or te-cleet. This is loudly communicated between birds advertising food during the morning and evening, and according to native informants, it is given most frequently during the day as rain approaches.[2]
Distribution and status
Currently, the palila can be found only on the upper slopes of
The fossil record shows that prior to human arrival the Palila also occurred in Kauaʻi and Oʻahu, and thus could likely have occurred on Maui and neighboring islands as well, but it has not been recorded out of the island of Hawaiʻi since European arrival. Palila are found in less than 10 percent of their historical range; they were found at elevations down to 4,000 feet (1,200 m) as late as the 19th century. Loxioides bailleui was abundant throughout Hawaiʻi until the beginning of the 20th century. It lived on the upper slopes of Mauna Kea, the northwest slopes of Mauna Loa, and the eastern slopes of Hualālai. Then, as early as 1944, scientists believed the bird almost extinct.
On March 11, 1967, the palila was listed as an
Conservation
The remaining habitat of the palila is actively being preserved, with public access being limited to nature trails such as the Palila Forest Discovery Trail on Mauna Kea.[5] The San Diego Zoo has a captive breeding program for the palila based in the Keauhou Bird Conservation Center on Hawaii Island. In May 2019, 6 palila were reintroduced to a patch of restored forest on the island in order to establish a second population, marking the first reintroduction attempt for the species.[6]
Ecology and behavior
The palila favors a
The diet of the palila is almost exclusively the immature seeds of māmane when these are available. These contain much vile-tasting
The bitter taste of the seed coats probably does not affect the birds (see below). Nonetheless, the seed coats are not very nutritious, and are thus discarded. Palila bills are adapted to open Fabales pods. The birds hold the pod with one foot and pry it open with the bill to expose the seeds. They then tear away the visible portion of the seed coat and extract the embryo, leaving the remaining coat in the pod. Seeds that drop out of the pod intact during opening are picked up and positioned longitudinally in the bill. The seed coat is then neatly cut open by the bill's edge and the embryo nudged out with the bird's tongue. The seed coat, still remaining in one piece, is then dropped.[7]
Palila also eat naio berries and other fruit (such as the introduced
The abundance of māmane seeds affects
The birds normally breed from February to September. The female constructs a loose,
Litigation
The Palila was the subject of a number of lawsuits brought by various environmental groups under the
References
- ^ . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
- ^ a b c Rothschild, Lionel Walter (1898–1900): 42. Loxioides bailleui. In: The avifauna of Laysan and the neighboring islands (Vol.3): 197–198. R.H. Porter, London.
- ^ Fish and Wildlife Information Exchange (1996): ‘Ō‘ū, ESIS101027 (draft) Archived 2008-10-27 at the Wayback Machine. Virginia Tech. Version of 1996-MAR-14.
- ISBN 978-1-4200-6444-5.
- ^ matthew (2016-08-17). "New Mauna Kea birding trail reveals the palila, a rare endemic Hawaiian species". Hawaii Magazine. Retrieved 2019-05-30.
- ^ Mapp, Lauren J. (2019-05-22). "San Diego Zoo Releases Group of Critically Endangered Birds in Hawaii". Times of San Diego. Retrieved 2019-05-30.
- ^ S2CID 7064787. Archived from the original(PDF) on 2012-12-21. Retrieved 2007-05-04.
External links
- Jeffrey, John J.; Fancy, Steven G.; Lindsey, Gerald D.; Banko, Paul C.; Pratt, Thane K. & Jacobi, James D. (1993). "Sex and Age Identification of Palila" (PDF). Journal of Field Ornithology. 64 (4): 490–499.
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Palila
- National Audubon Society – Palila at the Library of Congress Web Archives (archived 2004-10-16)
- Native Birds of Hawaii at the Wayback Machine (archived 2007-02-26)
- Forest Birds at the Wayback Machine (archived 2006-02-07)
- General information at the Wayback Machine (archived 2007-09-30)
- Species factsheet - BirdLife International
- Videos, photos, and sounds - Internet Bird Collection
- Audio recordings of Palila on Xeno-canto.
Further reading
- Lewis, Daniel (2018). Belonging on an Island: Birds, Extinction and Evolution in Hawaii. Yale University Press, New Haven, CT. ISBN 978-0-3002-2964-6.. Chapter 3 of the book is about the Palila, including the detailed legal aspects of its survival and the conservation efforts to protect it.