The ula-ai-hāwane (''Ciridops anna'') is an extinct species of small

Hawaiian honeycreeper Hawaiian honeycreepers are a group of small birds endemic to Hawaii. They are members of the finch family Fringillidae, closely related to the rosefinches (''Carpodacus''), but many species have evolved features unlike those present in any othe ...

. The term ''ula-ai-hāwane'' is a Hawaiian phrase translating to "red irdthat eats ''hāwane''". It was only ever reported from the forested mountains of the Kohala,

Hilo Hilo () is the largest settlement in and the county seat of Hawaii County, Hawaiʻi, United States, which encompasses the Island of Hawaiʻi, and is a census-designated place (CDP). The population was 44,186 according to the 2020 census. I ...

and Kona districts on the island of

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...

. Fossil remains reveal that it (and at least one closely related species, ''Ciridops tenax'') also existed at one time on other Hawaiian islands. The species is named after Anna Dole, wife of Sanford B. Dole.

Description

The average length of the bird was around . With respect to coloring, the adult was patterned red overall, while the head, throat, and upper back were silvery gray. The crown, wings, breast, shoulder, and tail were black, and the tertials a white color. The legs and bill were yellowish. Immature birds were brownish overall with a bluish-gray breast, black wings and tail, and a greenish-brown back.

Extinction

Ula-ai-hāwane are thought to have fed on the seeds and flowers of the '' loulu'' palms ''

Pritchardia affinis ''Pritchardia affinis'', the Hawai'i pritchardia, is a species of palm tree that is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. Wild populations currently exist on the leeward side of the Island of Hawaii. It was most likely cultivated by Native Hawaiians ...

'', '' P. beccariana'', '' P. lanigera'' and '' P. schattaueri''. The bird's name suggests it fed on the unripe fruits (''hāwane'') frequently. The decline of these palms may have sealed the fate of the bird. As the ula-ai-hāwane was only ever seen near loulu palms, it may be that they were fully dependent on them for survival. The last confirmed sighting of the bird was in the Kohala Mountains in 1892; a bird apparently sporting the rather distinctive coloration of this species was also seen in 1937, but too briefly to be unequivocally identified. There are only 5 specimens of ula-ai-hāwane in museums and it was rarely seen by Europeans alive.

References

External links

Species factsheet
- BirdLife International Ciridops Extinct birds of Hawaii Hawaiian honeycreepers Birds described in 1879 Bird extinctions since 1500 {{Fringillidae-stub