Highland Finch
Encyclopedia
The Highland Finch is an extinct member of the Fringillidae. It has traditionally been considered a member of the sub-family Drepanidinae, but this has been questioned recently with some preferring Incertae sedis
instead. It is the only member of the genus Orthiospiza. It was endemic to the Hawaii
an island of Maui
. It has been speculated that they were pushed to extinction because of habitat loss. It is only known from fossil remains and likely became extinct before the first Europeans arrived in 1778.
blossoms). The Highland Finch was believed to have once survive in highland forest, but its fossils have been found frequently at the lower elevations of the island.
settlers came to the islands. They cleared some of the land for farming and introduced species
for which the native birds had no defence. Five hundred years before Europeans made landfall to Hawaii, the bird was probably extinct. According to fossil records, their numbers declined rapidly in the early 16th century. It has been speculated that this species' visits to lower elevations was its undoing due to contact with avian diseases and pests. Finches were once known on all of the other larger Hawaiian islands, but the Highland Finch seems to have outlived the Oaho Finch. Today, only about sixty percent of Hawaii have not been drastically altered. Many avian diseases and parasites also pose a major threat to Hawai`i's native forest birds.
Incertae sedis
, is a term used to define a taxonomic group where its broader relationships are unknown or undefined. Uncertainty at specific taxonomic levels is attributed by , , and similar terms.-Examples:*The fossil plant Paradinandra suecica could not be assigned to any...
instead. It is the only member of the genus Orthiospiza. It was endemic to the Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
an island of Maui
Maui
The island of Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands at and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is part of the state of Hawaii and is the largest of Maui County's four islands, bigger than Lānai, Kahoolawe, and Molokai. In 2010, Maui had a population of 144,444,...
. It has been speculated that they were pushed to extinction because of habitat loss. It is only known from fossil remains and likely became extinct before the first Europeans arrived in 1778.
Description
The Highland Finch was about six inches long and had large, but relatively weak bill that possibly was suited for feeding on soft fruits, seeds and flowers (e.g., ‘ōhi‘a lehuaMetrosideros polymorpha
The ōhia lehua is a species of flowering evergreen tree in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, that is endemic to the six largest islands of Hawaii. It is a highly variable tree, being tall in favorable situations, and much smaller when growing in boggy soils or on basalt...
blossoms). The Highland Finch was believed to have once survive in highland forest, but its fossils have been found frequently at the lower elevations of the island.
Extinction
Due to its early extinction, very little is known about this species. It is only known from a few bones found in caves. It appears that this species began to go extinct when the first PolynesiansPolynesians
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...
settlers came to the islands. They cleared some of the land for farming and introduced species
Introduced species
An introduced species — or neozoon, alien, exotic, non-indigenous, or non-native species, or simply an introduction, is a species living outside its indigenous or native distributional range, and has arrived in an ecosystem or plant community by human activity, either deliberate or accidental...
for which the native birds had no defence. Five hundred years before Europeans made landfall to Hawaii, the bird was probably extinct. According to fossil records, their numbers declined rapidly in the early 16th century. It has been speculated that this species' visits to lower elevations was its undoing due to contact with avian diseases and pests. Finches were once known on all of the other larger Hawaiian islands, but the Highland Finch seems to have outlived the Oaho Finch. Today, only about sixty percent of Hawaii have not been drastically altered. Many avian diseases and parasites also pose a major threat to Hawai`i's native forest birds.