List of Hawaiian animals extinct in the Holocene facts for kids

Location of Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean.

The O‘ahu ‘ō‘ō (Moho apicalis) is one of many bird species that disappeared after people arrived in Hawaii.

This article is about animals that have disappeared from Hawaii during the Holocene epoch. This is the most recent geological time period, which started about 11,650 years ago and continues to this day.

The Hawaiian Islands are a group of islands in the Pacific Ocean. They include eight main islands and many smaller islands and atolls. Most of them are part of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Only Midway Atoll is a separate U.S. territory.

Hawaii was one of the last places on Earth settled by humans. The first people, Polynesians, arrived between 1219 and 1266 CE. Later, in 1778, British explorer James Cook was the first European to reach Hawaii. After him, many European and American explorers, traders, and whalers came to the islands. Hawaii became part of the United States in 1898 and a state in 1959.

Many species have disappeared from Hawaii because of human activities. When Polynesians and later Europeans arrived, they changed the environment a lot. They cleared native forests and brought in new plants and animals, some for farming and some by accident. These changes caused many unique Hawaiian species to disappear. For example, fossils show that Hawaii once had its own native eagle, two types of large crows, several meat-eating owls, and giant ducks called moa-nalo. Today, many of Hawaii's remaining unique plants and animals are endangered. Hawaii has lost more of its special species than any other U.S. state. For instance, the native plant Brighamia now needs people to pollinate it by hand because its natural pollinator is gone.

This list only includes native Hawaiian animals, not domestic animals like the Hawaiian poi dog. The exact dates when many species disappeared are not known.

Mammals

Bats

Vesper bats

Birds

Waterfowl

Ducks, geese, and swans

Common name	Scientific name	Range	Comments	Pictures
Nēnē-nui	Branta hylobadistes	Maui, possibly Oahu and Kauai	The most recent remains of this large goose are from 1046-1380.
Giant Hawaiʻi goose	Branta rhuax	Hawaii (island)	The most recent remains are from 1380-1500.	Giant Hawaiʻi goose
Turtle-jawed moa-nalo	Chelychelynechen quassus	Kauai	This unique duck is only known from old bone remains.	Turtle-jawed moa-nalo
Small-billed moa-nalo	Ptaiochen pau	Maui	This duck is known from old bone remains. It probably lived in the mountains. It likely disappeared due to hunting and new mammals.	Small-billed moa-nalo (right)
Kauaʻi mole duck	Talpanas lippa	Kauai	The most recent remains are from 3540-3355 BCE. This duck could not fly, was active at night, and was almost blind. It was very easy for hunters and new animals to catch.
Oʻahu moa-nalo	Thambetochen xanion	Oahu	The most recent remains are from 440-639 CE. It likely disappeared due to hunting, habitat loss, and new mammals eating its eggs.	Oʻahu moa-nalo
Maui Nui large-billed moa-nalo	Thambetochen chauliodous	Maui and Molokai	The most recent remains are from 1057-1375. It lived in lower areas, while the small-billed moa-nalo lived higher up. It likely disappeared due to hunting and Polynesian rats eating its eggs.	Maui Nui large-billed moa-nalo (left)

Rails and cranes

Rails

Common name	Scientific name	Range	Comments	Pictures
Laysan rail	Zapornia palmeri	Laysan	This bird disappeared from Laysan in 1923 after feral rabbits ate all the plants. It was moved to other islands to save it, but then black rats were accidentally brought to Midway Atoll in 1943, and they wiped out the rails there by 1945.	Laysan rail
Hawaiian rail	Zapornia sandwichensis	Hawaii (island)	The last one was collected in 1864. It lived peacefully with the Polynesian rat but might have been killed by the black rat. Hunting, loss of forests, and new diseases also likely played a part.	Hawaiian rail

Albatrosses and petrels

Petrels and shearwaters

Pelicans, herons, and ibises

Ibises and spoonbills

Common name	Scientific name	Range	Comments	Pictures
Maui highland ibis	Apteribis brevis	Maui	The most recent remains are from 170 BCE - 370 CE.	An Apteribis ibis
Molokaʻi ibis	Apteribis glenos	Molokai	This bird is known from prehistoric times.

Hawks and relatives

Hawks, eagles, kites, harriers and Old World vultures

Common name	Scientific name	Range	Comments	Pictures
White-tailed eagle	Haliaeetus albicilla	Oahu, Molokai, and Maui	Fossils show this eagle lived in Hawaii for over 100,000 years. It was the biggest predator there. Its disappearance might be linked to human changes, but we don't have direct proof it lived at the same time as humans.	White-tailed eagle

Owls

True owls

Perching birds

Crows and relatives

Common name	Scientific name	Range	Comments	Pictures
Hawaiian crow	Corvus hawaiiensis	Hawaii (island) and Maui	This crow was hunted in the 1800s. The last wild pairs were seen in 1992, with only 11 or 12 birds left. The last pair was seen in 2002. There are some in zoos, but attempts to release them failed.	Hawaiian crow

Reed warblers

Common name	Scientific name	Range	Comments	Pictures
Laysan millerbird	Acrocephalus familiaris familiaris	Laysan	Last seen in 1913. It likely disappeared because feral rabbits ate almost all the plants on the island by 1920.	Laysan millerbird

Hawaiian honeyeaters

Common name	Scientific name	Range	Comments	Pictures
Kioea	Chaetoptila angustipluma	Hawaii (island), Oahu, and Maui	The last one was collected in 1859. Loss of forests, hunting, and new predators likely caused its disappearance.	Kioea
Oʻahu ʻōʻō	Moho apicalis	Oahu	Last seen in 1837. It probably disappeared due to habitat loss and diseases carried by mosquitos.	Oʻahu ʻōʻō
Bishop's ʻōʻō	Moho bishopi	Maui, Lanai, and Molokai	Last seen on Molokai in 1904. It declined due to habitat loss for farming and grazing animals, then was wiped out by black rats and diseases.	Bishop's ʻōʻō
Kauaʻi ʻōʻō	Moho braccatus	Kauai	This bird was common before the 1890s. By 1981, only one pair was left. The female disappeared in a hurricane in 1982, and the male sang alone until 1987. It likely declined due to habitat loss, predators like black rats and feral pigs, and diseases from mosquitos.	Kauaʻi ʻōʻō
Hawaiʻi ʻōʻō	Moho nobilis	Hawaii (island)	Last seen in 1934. It likely disappeared due to habitat loss and disease.	Hawaiʻi ʻōʻō

Thrushes

Common name	Scientific name	Range	Comments	Pictures
Kāmaʻo	Myadestes myadestinus	Kauai	Last reliably seen in 1985. Likely disappeared due to diseases from new mosquitos, and forests being destroyed by feral pigs.	Kāmaʻo
ʻĀmaui	Myadestes woahensis	Oahu	Known from only one bird collected in 1825 and old bones. The reason for its disappearance is unknown, but habitat loss and bird malaria are suspected.

Possibly extinct, thrushes

Common name	Scientific name	Range	Comments	Pictures
Olomaʻo	Myadestes lanaiensis	Maui, Lanai and Molokai	It might have disappeared from Maui in the 1800s. Last seen on Lanai in 1933, and on Molokai in 1980. It could have been wiped out by diseases from new mosquitos and habitat destruction.	Olomaʻo

True finches

Common name	Scientific name	Range	Comments	Pictures
Oʻahu ʻakialoa	Akialoa ellisiana	Oahu	Only two specimens of this bird were collected in 1837. It's thought to have disappeared due to habitat loss and disease.	Oʻahu ʻakialoa
Maui Nui ʻakialoa	Akialoa lanaiensis	Maui, Lanai and Molokai	Named from three birds collected on Lanai in 1892. Fossils were also found on Molokai and Maui. It's believed to have disappeared due to habitat loss, disease, and possibly new species.	Maui Nui ʻakialoa
Lesser ʻakialoa	Akialoa obscura	Hawaii (island)	Last reported in 1940. Likely disappeared due to forests being cut down and new diseases.	Lesser ʻakialoa
Kauaʻi ʻakialoa	Akialoa stejnegeri	Kauai	Last reported in 1969. Disappeared due to forest clearing and new diseases.	Kauaʻi ʻakialoa
Kona grosbeak	Chloridops kona	Hawaii (island)	By the time it was discovered in the late 1800s, it lived in a very small area. The last one was collected in 1894. The reasons for its disappearance are unknown, but might include habitat loss, new mammal predators, and avian malaria.	Kona grosbeak
ʻUla-ʻai-hawane	Ciridops anna	Hawaii (island)	Last collected in 1892. The reasons for its disappearance are unknown, but cutting down forests, malaria, and rats eating them might have played a part.	ʻUla-ʻai-hawane
Black mamo	Drepanis funerea	Maui and Molokai	Last collected in Molokai in 1907. It probably disappeared because its forest home was destroyed by new cattle and deer, and by rats and mongooses.	Black mamo
Hawaiʻi mamo	Drepanis pacifica	Hawaii (island)	Last recorded in 1898. Even though it was heavily hunted for its feathers, it was likely habitat loss and disease that caused its final disappearance.	Hawaiʻi mamo
Lānaʻi hookbill	Dysmorodrepanis munroi	Lanai	Only known from one bird collected in 1913. It likely disappeared because forests were cleared for pineapple farms, and by cats and rats.	Lānaʻi hookbill
Oʻahu nukupuʻu	Hemignathus lucidus	Oahu	The last two birds were collected around 1838-1841.	Oʻahu nukupuʻu
Laysan honeycreeper	Himatione fraithii	Laysan	Disappeared after new feral rabbits ate almost all the plants on the island. The last three birds died in a storm in 1923.	Laysan honeycreeper
Oʻahu ʻakepa	Loxops wolstenholmei	Oahu	Last recorded in 1930. Probably disappeared due to habitat loss and disease.	Oʻahu ʻakepa
Poʻouli	Melamprosops phaeosoma	Maui	The last two birds were recorded in 2004; one died soon after being caught. The exact reasons for its decline are unknown. It could be habitat loss, diseases from mosquitos, pigs, rats, cats, and small Indian mongooses.	Poʻouli
Kākāwahie	Paroreomyza flammea	Molokai	Last recorded in 1961-1963. It's thought to have disappeared due to habitat loss and disease.	Kākāwahie
Lānaʻi ʻalauahio	Paroreomyza montana montana	Lanai	Disappeared in 1937.	Lānaʻi ʻalauahio
Lesser koa finch	Rhodacanthis flaviceps	Hawaii (island)	This bird seemed to disappear due to habitat loss, not climate changes or mosquito-borne diseases. It was last recorded in 1891.	Lesser koa finch
Greater koa finch	Rhodacanthis palmeri	Hawaii (island)	Last collected in 1896. The reasons for its disappearance are unknown, but habitat loss and new avian malaria are likely causes.	Greater koa finch
Greater ʻamakihi	Viridonia sagittirostris	Wailuku River, Hawaii (island)	Last recorded in 1901. Its only known forest home was cleared to plant sugar cane.	Greater ʻamakihi

Possibly extinct, true finches

Common name	Scientific name	Range	Comments	Pictures
Maui nukupuʻu	Hemignathus affinis	Maui	Last confirmed sighting in 1896. Its forest home was destroyed for cattle ranching or damaged by new animals. New plants and disease-carrying mosquitos also spread.	Maui nukupuʻu
Kauaʻi nukupuʻu	Hemignathus hanapepe	Kauai	Last confirmed sighting in 1899. It likely declined due to habitat damage by new animals, disease, and competition with new birds and insects.	Kauaʻi nukupuʻu
Maui ʻakepa	Loxops ochraceus	Maui	Last recorded in 1988. It could have declined due to habitat loss, new diseases, and competition with new species.	Maui ʻakepa
Oʻahu ʻalauahio	Paroreomyza maculata	Oahu	Last collected in 1968 and last well-documented sighting in 1985. It may have disappeared due to disease spread by new mosquitos.	Oʻahu ʻalauahio
ʻŌʻū	Psittirostra psittacea	Hawaii (island), Maui, Molokai, Lanai, Oahu, and Kauai	Last certainly recorded in Hawaii in 1987, and in Kauai in 1989. It disappeared from Oahu, Maui, Molokai, and Lanai between 1899 and 1931. It may have disappeared due to habitat loss, new rats, and malaria spread by new mosquitos.	ʻŌʻū

Insects

Dragonflies and damselflies

Narrow-winged damselflies

Possibly extinct

Grasshoppers, locusts, and crickets

True crickets

Extinct in the wild

True bugs

Mealybugs

Beetles

True weevils

Butterflies and moths

Pyralid moths

Owlet moths

Possibly extinct, owlet moths

Common name	Scientific name	Range	Comments	Pictures
Midway noctuid moth	Agrotis fasciata	Midway Atoll	Last seen before 1960. Considered possibly extinct.	Midway noctuid moth
Kona agrotis noctuid moth	Agrotis panoplias	Hawaii (island)	Date unknown. Considered possibly extinct.	Kona agrotis noctuid moth
Laysan noctuid moth	Agrotis laysanensis	Laysan	Last seen in 1911. Considered possibly extinct.	Laysan noctuid moth

Geometer moths

Common name	Scientific name	Range	Comments	Pictures
Kona giant looper moth	Scotorythra megalophylla	Hawaiian Islands	Last seen in the early 1900s. Considered extinct.	Kona giant looper moth
Koʻolau giant looper moth	Scotorythra nesiotes	Oahu	Last seen in the early 1900s. Considered extinct.

True flies

Long-legged flies

Common name	Scientific name	Range	Comments	Pictures
Koʻolau spurwing long-legged fly	Campsicnemus mirabilis	Hawaiian Islands	This fly is extinct.	Koʻolau spurwing long-legged fly

Fruit flies and relatives

Snails and slugs

Land snails

Achatinellidae family

Scientific name	Range	Comments	Pictures
Achatinella abbreviata	Oahu	Extinct. Last seen in 1963.	Achatinella abbreviata
Achatinella apexfulva	Oahu	Extinct. The last individual died in a zoo in 2019.	Achatinella apexfulva
Achatinella buddii	Oahu	Extinct. Last seen in the early 1900s.	Achatinella buddii
Achatinella casta	Oahu	Extinct. Date unknown.	Achatinella casta
Achatinella livida	Oahu	Extinct. Collected several times between 1981 and 1993.	Achatinella livida
Achatinella valida	Oahu	Extinct. Last seen in 1951.	Achatinella valida
Auriculella expansa	Maui	Extinct. Seen in 1946 and 1960.
Partulina crassa	Lanai	Extinct. Last seen in 1914.	Partulina crassa

Amastridae family

Scientific name	Range	Comments	Pictures
Amastra cornea	Oahu	Extinct. Date unknown.	Amastra cornea
Amastra crassilabrum	Oahu	Extinct. Seen in 1951.	Amastra crassilabrum
Amastra elongata	Oahu	Extinct. Date unknown.	Amastra elongata
Amastra subsoror	Maui	Extinct. Last seen in 1946.	Amastra subsoror
Carelia bicolor	Kauai	Extinct. Last seen in 1970.	Carelia bicolor
Carelia cochlea	Kauai	Extinct. Seen in 1952.	Carelia cochlea
Carelia dolei	Kauai	Extinct. Seen in 1952.	Carelia dolei
Carelia turricula	Kauai	Extinct. Last seen in 1930.	Carelia turricula

Images for kids

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  High-billed crow

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  Robust crow

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  Molokaʻi ibis

See also

• Endemism in the Hawaiian Islands
• List of endemic birds of Hawaii
• Holocene extinction