Matchmakers Seek the Last Lonely Male Po'ouli (Very Endangered Bird)

Independent ^ | February 11th, 2002 | James Palmer

[Sabertooth]

Matchmakers Seek the
Last Lonely Male Po'ouli

For one shy bachelor in Hawaii, this Valentine's Day could bring more than a rare chance to find a partner – it could mean the survival of an entire species.

A team of biologists is stalking the last male Hawaiian po'ouli bird, in a matchmaking mission without which extinction is guaranteed. The state's Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project has sent a team into the rainforest to plant a tiny radio tracking device in the male, and then to capture a female and bring her into his terrain.

The lone male Hawaiian honeycreeper has been living on the north-east slope of the Haleakala volcano, dining on tree snails, unaware that the last two females live near by. Their home ranges do not overlap, so intervention is required to bring them together.

But the chances of getting the birds to breed in the wild are slim. "We're looking for a needle in a haystack," Jim Groombridge, the project co-ordinator, said. "It's not a loud, gregarious, top-of-the-tree type with crazy-coloured plumage you can spot from a distance."

The quiet beige-and-brown bird, first discovered in 1973, weighs one ounce (25g) and has a black face likened to the Lone Ranger's mask.

[Sabertooth]

Native Birds Of Hawai`i - Po`o-uli

(Melamprosops phaeosoma)

Critically Endangered

In 1973 students participating in the Hana Rainforest Project from the University of Hawai`i discovered a grayish, cinnamon brown bird in the dense `ohi`a forests on the northeast slope of Haleakala. This rare bird, now known as the Po`o-uli, had never been described before. The excitement following its discovery was coupled with the somber realization that so much remains to be learned about Hawaiian natural history.

Distribution: Po`o-uli have been recorded in the upper Hanawi and Kuhiwa watersheds on the northeast slopes of Haleakala from 4,600 to 6,700 feet in elevation.

Description: The Po`o-uli is dark grayish brown above with cinnamon-brown on the neck and back; underparts are buff colored washed with brown. A white throat is contrasted by a black mask extending across the forehead, chin, and eyes. The bill is black; feet and legs are dark brown. Sexes are similar and 5.25 inches in length.

Voice: Calls are similar to those of the Maui Parrotbill and Maui Creeper and described as a harsh repetitive "chick" and "wh-whit."

Nesting: A pair was discovered building a nest in March 1986. No formal description of nests, eggs, and young has yet been given. Fledgings have been sighted in August.

Diet: Po`o-uli appear to feed primarily on small snails and beetles, but may also eat a variety of insects and larvae. They forage on branches or thin trunks in the understory of the `ohi`a rainforest.

Conservation Note: There are only three birds known existing.

Disturbances to their former and present habitat are probably responsible for their decline. Most of the dry and mesic forests on Maui up to 5,000 feet elevation have been cleared for timber, cattle ranching, or agriculture. The present habitat of wet `ohi`a forest is threatened by damage from feral pigs and ungulates. The rooting of pigs disturbs the understory of the forest, destroying microhabitats that are critical to the survival of the snails and insects that may make up the Po`o-uli's diet. Avian diseases transmitted by mosquitoes are a limiting factor as well.

If birds like the Po`o-uli are to be saved from extinction, their habitat must be managed to maintain or reestablish native vegetation, and further research must be conducted to better understand reasons for their decline.

[Sabertooth]

(((ping))))

[KayEyeDoubleDee]

Hey, at least they were able to get some pictures of it for posterity

[Technocrat]

Build condos on the part of the male's range that is opposite the female's range. Nah. Too efficient.

[dead]

Like 99.99% of all species that have ever evolved on earth, it looks like po'ouli is headed for the graveyard called extinction.

On the bright side, this may open up an ecological niche for another species with a stronger reproductive instinct and a less stupid name.

[Victoria Delsoul]

Awww, poor little bird. I wish him luck!

[meandog]

Looks like the po'ouli is headed down that same lonesome trail as the sabertooth. Personally, I say good riddance. The less po'oulis, the more money Hawaiian enterpeneurs can make timbering its habitat. However, if environmentalists really want to save this species, open up the hunting of the feral pigs that the article blames for the dwindling numbers--the pigs (brought over by Capt. Cooke and other discovers) don't belong there anyway!

[Lazamataz]

For one shy bachelor in Hawaii, this Valentine's Day could bring more than a rare chance to find a partner – it could mean the survival of an entire species. A team of biologists is stalking the last male Hawaiian po'ouli bird, in a matchmaking mission without which extinction is guaranteed.

Evolution means never having to say you're sorry.

In other words: Oh well. You're screwed.

[Sabertooth]

However, if environmentalists really want to save this species, open up the hunting of the feral pigs that the article blames for the dwindling numbers--the pigs (brought over by Capt. Cooke and other discovers) don't belong there anyway!

Way overdue. Not sure it's the enviromaniacs that oppose it though.

Methinks that a feral pig hunt would lead to a battle for the top of the granola pile between the greenies and PETA.

[Sabertooth]

Awww, poor little bird. I wish him luck!

May we all get lucky on Valentine's Day.

[Cleburne]

PETA enjoys throwing fits over these sorts of things, and so do the loveable enviro-terrorists, as is evidenced with their interference in a horse-roundup program. They are divorced from the slightest notion of good sense.

[Cogadh na Sith]

Never heard of it. Ain't never seen one...

smack smack... *burp*

[Sabertooth]

Looks like the po'ouli is headed down that same lonesome trail as the sabertooth.

Actually, in Africa, there are sightings to this day of yet-to-be-discovered big cats with protruding teeth, that are distinguished by natives from lions and leopards. I've also seen reports of them going back to the early 20th and late 19th Centuries in the journals of big game hunters, based on accounts told them by guides.

Could be BS, but it's still a pretty dark continent. A lot more plausible than the dinosaur sightings, anyway.

[FairWitness]

My daughter spent a 6-month volunteer internship with the Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project, looking for this very bird. That was about a year ago. In six months, neither she nor any of the other project members saw this lone(ly) male, though they did sight one of the two females known to exist at the time. I have little hope for this species, but one can only hope that the knowledge gained from projects like this one will do some good where there is more of a chance to save a dwindling species.

Note that is is not humans directly that have decimated this species, since they live on the "back-side" of the volcano where there are few if any people. The problem is the rats, feral pigs and other critters that followed humans to the island.

[Redcloak]

Any truth to the rumor that they taste remarkably like Spotted Owl?

[vikingchick]

bump

[FairWitness]

Another Po'ouli Link if anyone is interested.

[Sabertooth]

Thanks for that link!

Po`ouli (Melamprosops phaeosoma)
Description The Po`ouli (Melamprosops phaeosoma) is one of five endangered Hawaiian honeycreepers that inhabit the rainforests of east Maui. The Po`ouli is a stocky bird, about 5 1 /2 inches long, whose Hawaiian name means "black face," referring to its dark facial feathers. The cheeks and breast feathers are white, turning a light red-brown toward the posterior. The top of the head is greyish, turning to dark brown on the back. The Po`ouli was discovered in 1973 by three University of Hawaii students while they conducted field work in the Hana rainforest. Molecular studies indicate that the Po`ouli belongs to an ancient lineage of honeycreepers. It is so unique in its form and behavior that it has been placed in its own genus, Melamprosops.

Habitat Although fossil remains have been found on the dry south slope of Haleakala, indicating that the Po`ouli was previously more widespread, it is currently restricted to the upper elevations of east Maui's rainforests, from 4,650- 6,680 feet. All of the known birds occur within the Hanawi Natural Area Reserve and adjacent portions of Haleakala National Park and the Ko`olau Forest Reserve. These areas receive an average of 350 inches of rain annually. The terrain is steep and thickly vegetated. While some alien weeds are present, the area is dominated by native Hawaiian plants such as the `ohi`a tree and `olapa.

Life History The Po`ouli is a secretive bird that spends a great deal of its time in the native understory and brush of the rainforest, making it difficult to detect and observe. It gleans leaves and bark in search of the insects, spiders, and small snails upon which it feeds. The few nests that have been observed contained 1-2 chicks during the months of April-June. These nests were built of twigs and mosses and were located in leafy branches of `ohi`a trees. Po`ouli commonly forage with small groups of other Hawaiian forest birds such as the endangered Maui Parrotbill and more common species such as the Maui Creeper or `alauahio.

Threats

When first discovered in 1973, the total population of Po`ouli was felt to be fewer than 200 birds. Popula- tions of so few individuals are extremely vulnerable to any threat, especially when they are restricted to such a limited area. Unfortu- nately, the threats to these and other Hawaiian forest birds are not few. Almost all native forest birds are restricted to elevations above 4,900 feet. Possibly one of the most telling explanations for this restricted distribution is that introduced mosquitos, which transmit avian malaria, are common below this elevation. Avian diseases such as malaria and pox virus were probably one of the most critical reasons for the devastating declines of perching birds in Hawai`i during the 1980s.

Destruction of habitat by pigs, goats, and other introduced ungulates has had devastating impacts on all native habitats in Hawai`i. Feral pigs have had direct impacts on native forest birds by destroying understory vegetation, spreading alien weeds, and creating mosquito breeding areas from their rooting and wallowing in wet forests. For birds such as the Po`ouli, which specialize in foraging in the understory, disturbance by pigs has been a major threat. Introduced predators such as the black and Polynesian rat, the small Indian mongoose, and the feral house cat are all known to be predators of Hawai`i's native birds. The great abundance of black rats in most Hawaiian forests, as well as their tree-dwelling habit, indicate they may be a primary threat to the Po`ouli.

Introduced forest birds have over the years encroached into the habitats utilized by the Po`ouli and other native forest birds. These alien species often harbor and spread introduced diseases, and compete for food and nest sites with the native Hawaiian species. The very small population size of the Po`ouli compounds all of these threats and makes them more vulnerable to naturally occurring disasters. In addition, small populations typically show the negative effects of inbreeding, such as smaller clutch size and lowered resistance to disease. It has been shown that individuals of a given species that are derived from very small populations do not survive as well as individuals that exist in large populations.

Current Status The Po`ouli is now believed to number only three individuals. These birds exist in three distinct home ranges and do not appear to interact with one another. Scientists believe these birds are made up of one male and two females, and that there may be a chance to save this species if appropriate action is taken now. The Hawai`i Department of Land and Natural Resources and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are currently seeking public input on what the appropriate action should be.

Did You Know . . . The east Maui rainforest contains more species of endangered forest birds than anywhere else in the State? The Po`ouli is the only Hawaiian forest bird known to consume tree snails? The Po`ouli seldom calls or sings and typically is seen before it is heard?

[beowolf]

Do they taste like chicken? If they do, they are goners....:-)

[meandog]

Could be BS, but it's still a pretty dark continent. A lot more plausible than the dinosaur sightings, anyway.

Plausible indeed...the gorilla, after all, was also said to be a myth until discovered in 1911.