Aug 27, 2025
Day 27 of Avian August 2025, Birds of Hawaii, hosted by @cookiedoves: ʻŌʻū (Psittirostra psittacea)
The last time anyone reported seeing an ʻōʻū was in 1989, and in 2024, this species of Hawaiian honeycreeper was declared extinct. Before its sudden decline in the 20th century, the bird was fairly widespread across the islands, flying long distances in search of fruit. Its preferred food was the fruit of the ʻieʻie (Freycinetia arborea). In return for this nourishment, the ʻōʻū helped disperse the seeds of the vine-like epiphytic plant across the islands.
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