Fa'ahia is an early Polynesian

Polynesians

The Polynesian peoples is a grouping of various ethnic groups that speak Polynesian languages, a branch of the Oceanic languages within the Austronesian languages, and inhabit Polynesia. They number approximately 1,500,000 people...

 occupation site in the north of the island of Huahine

Huahine

Huahine is an island located among the Society Islands, in French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. It is part of the Leeward Islands group . The island has a population of about 6,000.-Geography:...

, in the Society Islands

Society Islands

The Society Islands are a group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean. They are politically part of French Polynesia. The archipelago is generally believed to have been named by Captain James Cook in honor of the Royal Society, the sponsor of the first British scientific survey of the islands;...

, French Polynesia

French Polynesia

French Polynesia is an overseas country of the French Republic . It is made up of several groups of Polynesian islands, the most famous island being Tahiti in the Society Islands group, which is also the most populous island and the seat of the capital of the territory...

. With the neighbouring Vaito'otia site it dates to between 700 CE

Common Era

Common Era ,abbreviated as CE, is an alternative designation for the calendar era originally introduced by Dionysius Exiguus in the 6th century, traditionally identified with Anno Domini .Dates before the year 1 CE are indicated by the usage of BCE, short for Before the Common Era Common Era...

 and 1200 CE. Because much of the site is waterlogged, artefacts made of organic materials have been well preserved, including wooden patu hand clubs, canoe parts and adze handles. Subfossil

Subfossil

Subfossil refers to remains whose fossilization process is not complete, either for lack of time or because the conditions in which they were buried were not optimal for fossilization....

 bird bones have also been well preserved, providing much new information about the avifauna of the island around the time it was first settled by humans, demonstrating that even small islands could hold a rich variety of bird species. Several excavations were conducted by Yosihiko H. Sinoto

Yosihiko H. Sinoto

Yosihiko H. Sinoto is a Japanese-born American anthropologist at the Bernice P. Bishop Museum in Honolulu, Hawaii...

 of the Bernice P. Bishop Museum.

Birds

The remains of several species of birds have been found, representing those that were killed for their flesh, bones or feathers by prehistoric Polynesians. Globally extinct species of land birds found at the site include two rails, the Huahine Rail

Huahine Rail

The Huahine Rail was a species of bird in the Rallidae family. It was a medium-sized Gallirallus rail endemic to Huahine in the Society Islands of French Polynesia. It is known only from subfossil remains found at the Fa'ahia archaeological site on the island...

 and Swamphen

Huahine Swamphen

The Huahine Swamphen was a species of bird in the Rallidae family. It was a small swamphen endemic to Huahine in the Society Islands of French Polynesia. It is known only from subfossil remains found at the Fa'ahia archaeological site on the island. Fa'ahia is an early Polynesian occupation site...

; two doves, the Great Ground-dove

Great Ground-dove

The Great Ground Dove is an extinct species of bird in the Columbidae family. It was found in Mangaia in the southern Cook Islands, and in French Polynesia where subfossil bones between 1-2000 years old have been found in the Marquesas, as well as between 750-1250 years old at the Fa'ahia early...

 and Huahine Cuckoo-dove

Huahine Cuckoo-dove

The Huahine Cuckoo-dove is an extinct species of bird in the Columbidae family. It was endemic to French Polynesia where subfossil bones between 750 and 1250 years old have found at the Fa'ahia early occupation site on Huahine in the Society Islands.-References:* Kirchman, Jeremy J.; & Steadman,...

; two parrots, the Conquered Lorikeet

Conquered Lorikeet

The Conquered Lorikeet is a species of parrot that became extinct 700–1300 years ago. It was named by David Steadman, as a wordplay on "veni, vidi, vici." Its range was from the Cook Islands to the Society and Marquesas Islands...

 and Sinoto's Lorikeet

Sinoto's Lorikeet

The Sinoto's Lorikeet is a species of parrot that became extinct 700–1300 years ago. It was identified from fossils on the Marquesas Islands....

, and the Huahine Starling

Huahine Starling

The Huahine Starling is an extinct bird from the genus Aplonis within the starling family Sturnidae. It was endemic to the island of Huahine, in the Society Islands of French Polynesia, and therefore had the easternmost distribution of all Aplonis species in the Pacific region.-History:The Huahine...

. Locally extinct land birds found were Striated Heron

Striated Heron

The Striated Heron, Butorides striata, also known as Mangrove Heron, Little Heron or Green-backed Heron, is a small heron. Striated Herons are mostly non-migratory and noted for some interesting behavioral traits. Their breeding habitat is small wetlands in the Old World tropics from west Africa to...

, Spotless Crake

Spotless Crake

The Spotless Crake is a species of bird in the rail family, Rallidae.It is found in American Samoa, Australia, the Cook Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, Indonesia, Micronesia, New Zealand, Niue, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Pitcairn, Samoa, Solomon Islands, and Tonga.-References:* BirdLife...

, Polynesian Ground-dove

Polynesian Ground-dove

The Polynesian Ground Dove is a critically endangered species of bird in the Columbidae family. It is endemic to the Tuamotus in French Polynesia with recent records from the atolls of Matureivavao, Rangiroa, Tenararo, Morane, Vahanga and perhaps Tikehau...

, Marquesan Imperial-pigeon, Polynesian Imperial-pigeon

Polynesian Imperial-pigeon

The Polynesian Imperial Pigeon is a species of bird in the Columbidae family. It is endemic to French Polynesia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montanes. It is threatened by habitat loss.-References:* BirdLife...

, and Tahiti Reed-warbler. The only globally extinct seabird

Seabird

Seabirds are birds that have adapted to life within the marine environment. While seabirds vary greatly in lifestyle, behaviour and physiology, they often exhibit striking convergent evolution, as the same environmental problems and feeding niches have resulted in similar adaptations...

 was the Huahine Gull

Huahine Gull

The Huahine Gull , also known as the Society Islands Gull, is an extinct bird, a species of gull of which subfossil bones were found at the Fa'ahia archeological site on Huahine, in the Society Islands of French Polynesia....

, but several other seabird

Seabird

Seabirds are birds that have adapted to life within the marine environment. While seabirds vary greatly in lifestyle, behaviour and physiology, they often exhibit striking convergent evolution, as the same environmental problems and feeding niches have resulted in similar adaptations...

s that are now locally extinct, at least as breeders, were found, including the Wedge-tailed Shearwater

Wedge-tailed Shearwater

The Wedge-tailed Shearwater, Puffinus pacificus is a medium-large shearwater in the seabird family Procellariidae. It is one of the shearwater species that is sometimes referred to as a Muttonbird, like the Sooty Shearwater of New Zealand and the Short-tailed Shearwater of Australia...

, Christmas Shearwater

Christmas Shearwater

The Christmas Shearwater, Puffinus nativitatis, is a medium-sized shearwater of the tropical Central Pacific. It is a poorly known species due to its remote nesting habits, and it has not been extensively studied at sea either....

, Audubon's Shearwater

Audubon's Shearwater

Audubon's Shearwater, Puffinus lherminieri, is a common tropical seabird from the family Procellariidae. Sometimes called Dusky-backed Shearwater, the scientific name of this species commemorates the French naturalist Félix Louis L'Herminier....

, Tahiti Petrel

Tahiti Petrel

The Tahiti Petrel, Pétrel De Tahiti, or Petrel De Tahití is a species of seabird in the Procellariidae family....

, Phoenix Petrel

Phoenix Petrel

The Phoenix Petrel, Pterodroma alba is a medium-sized, up to long, tropical seabird with a wingspan of . It has a dark brown upperparts plumage, white below and whitish throat. Both sexes are similar....

, Trindade Petrel, Brown Booby

Brown Booby

The Brown Booby is a large seabird of the booby family, Sulidae. The adult brown booby reaches about in length. Its head and upper body are covered in dark brown, with the remainder being a contrasting white. The juvenile form is gray-brown with darkening on the head, wings and tail...

, Red-footed Booby

Red-footed Booby

The Red-footed Booby, Sula sula, is a large seabird of the booby family, Sulidae. As suggested by the name, adults always have red feet, but the colour of the plumage varies. They are powerful and agile fliers, but they are clumsy in takeoffs and landings...

, Great Frigatebird

Great Frigatebird

The Great Frigatebird is a large dispersive seabird in the frigatebird family. Major nesting populations are found in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, as well as a population in the South Atlantic....

, Lesser Frigatebird

Lesser Frigatebird

The Lesser Frigatebird, Fregata ariel, is a species of frigatebird.It nests in Australia, among other locations.There is a single record from the Western Palearctic, from Eilat in the Gulf of Aqaba....

, and Black Noddy

Black Noddy

The Black Noddy or White-capped Noddy is a seabird from the tern family. It resembles the closely related Brown or Common Noddy , but is smaller with darker plumage, a whiter cap, a longer, straighter beak and shorter tail...

.