Puaiohi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Puaiohi |
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Myadestes
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palmeri
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The puaiohi (Myadestes palmeri) is a small, rare songbird. It lives only on the Hawaiian island of Kauaʻi. This bird is also known as the small Kauaʻi thrush. It is part of the thrush family. The puaiohi is related to other thrushes that are found only in Hawaii. A person named Henry Palmer first found this bird in 1891. He found it near Kōkeʻe State Park.
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What the Puaiohi Looks Like
The puaiohi has plain-looking feathers. Its back is a brownish-gray color. Its chest and belly are light gray. This bird has a black beak and pinkish feet.
A clear white ring around its eye helps tell it apart. This eye ring makes it different from other Hawaiian thrushes. Male and female puaiohi birds look very much alike. Young puaiohi birds have spotted, whitish-buff feathers on top. Their feathers below are scalloped gray-brown.
Where the Puaiohi Lives
The puaiohi has always been a rare bird. It likes to live in forest areas with deep valleys. These areas are usually high up, above 1,050 meters (3,440 feet).
Puaiohi birds live only in the middle and southern parts of the Alakaʻi Wilderness Preserve. This preserve is on the Hawaiian island of Kauaʻi. About 75% of the puaiohi families live in a small forest area. This area is only about 10 square kilometers (4 square miles).
Puaiohi Diet and Behavior
The puaiohi eats different foods depending on the time of year.
What Puaiohi Eat
When it's not breeding season, most of the puaiohi's diet is fruit and berries. About 82% of what they eat is fruit. The rest of their diet is insects and other small creatures without backbones.
Some important fruits they eat come from native Hawaiian plants. These include ʻolapa, lapalapa, ʻōhiʻa ha, and kanawao. During the breeding season, more than half of their diet changes. They eat mostly insects and other small invertebrates then.
Puaiohi Song and Nesting
The puaiohi's song can be simple or complex. It can sound like a trill or a high-pitched squeal. Some people say it sounds like a metal wheel that needs oil. Male puaiohi birds sing all year. They sing more often as the breeding season gets closer. Their singing is most frequent from April to May.
Puaiohi birds have been seen building nests from March to mid-September. They build their nests in holes or ledges on cliff faces. They hide the nests with moss and fern plants. Sometimes, they also use holes in trees. Only the female bird builds the nest. This can take up to seven days.
The female also sits on the eggs to keep them warm. She feeds the baby birds once they hatch. Puaiohi usually lay two eggs at a time. The eggs are grayish-green or greenish-blue. They have reddish-brown spots. The eggs hatch after 13 to 15 days. After the young birds leave the nest, the male bird takes over feeding them. The female then tries to start a second family. If a nest fails, the female will try to build a new one.
Puaiohi Status and Protection
The puaiohi is an endangered bird. Its population has stayed somewhat steady since 1973. Recent studies estimate there are between 414 and 580 birds.
Threats to the Puaiohi
Puaiohi populations face several dangers. These include drought (very dry weather) and hurricanes. Mammals like rats can also eat their eggs and young birds. Avian malaria, a bird disease, affects many puaiohi. However, some birds have shown they can resist this disease.
Wild pigs and goats also harm the puaiohi. They damage the forest where the birds live. Many invasive plants and animals also compete with the puaiohi. These non-native species make it harder for the puaiohi to survive.
Protecting the Puaiohi
The puaiohi was added to the United States Federal Endangered Species List in 1967. This means it is protected by law.
In 1995, a special program was started to breed puaiohi in captivity. Some of these birds were later released back into the Alakaʻi. This was done to help the wild population grow. However, this program was stopped. Scientists noticed that the captive-bred birds were having problems due to inbreeding.
See also
In Spanish: Solitario puaiohi para niños
