''Paroreomyza'' is a
genus
Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...
of
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 ...
in the subfamily
Carduelinae
The cardueline finches are a subfamily, Carduelinae, one of three subfamilies of the finch family Fringillidae, the others being the Fringillinae and the Euphoniinae. The Hawaiian honeycreepers are now included in this subfamily. Except for the ...
of the family
Fringillidae
The true finches are small to medium-sized passerine birds in the family Fringillidae. Finches generally have stout conical bills adapted for eating seeds and nuts and often have colourful plumage. They occupy a great range of habitats where the ...
. These birds are
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...
to
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 ...
.
Taxonomy
''Paroreomyza'', along with ''
Oreomystis'' (although their alliance is disputed),
is the second most
basal genus of Hawaiian honeycreeper to survive to recent times, with the most basal being the recently extinct
poʻouli (''Melamprosops phaeosoma''), with ''Paroreomyza'' and ''Oreomystis'' having diverged from the rest of the lineage about 4.7 million years ago. Members of ''Paroreomyza'' do not have two key phenotypic traits present in ''Oreomystis'' and the more derived Hawaiian honeycreepers: a distinct musty odor and a squared-off tongue. Following the extinction of the poʻouli, it (along with ''Oreomystis'' if they are considered sister genera) is the most basal group of Hawaiian honeycreepers still surviving, although it too has lost most of its species.
Species
It includes the following species:
*
Kākāwahie (''Paroreomyza flammea'') —
extinct
Extinction is the termination of an organism by the death of its Endling, last member. A taxon may become Functional extinction, functionally extinct before the death of its last member if it loses the capacity to Reproduction, reproduce and ...
(1963)
*
Oʻahu ʻalauahio (''Paroreomyza maculata'') — probably extinct (late 1960s to mid 1980s?)
*
Maui Nui ʻalauahio (''Paroreomyza montana'')
**
Lanaʻi ʻalauahio (''Paroreomyza montana montana'') —
extinct
Extinction is the termination of an organism by the death of its Endling, last member. A taxon may become Functional extinction, functionally extinct before the death of its last member if it loses the capacity to Reproduction, reproduce and ...
(1937)
**
Maui ʻalauahio (''Paroreomyza montana newtoni'')
See also
*
*
*
References
Hawaiian honeycreepers
Endemic fauna of Hawaii
Bird genera
Carduelinae
Taxa named by Robert Cyril Layton Perkins
Taxonomy articles created by Polbot
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