Wood harrier facts for kids

The wood harrier or mime harrier (Circus dossenus) was a type of bird of prey that is now extinct. It lived in Hawaii a long time ago, during the Holocene period. This small harrier bird had short wings and lived in the forests of Molokai and Oahu. It probably hunted for small birds and insects.

What Did the Wood Harrier Look Like?

Compared to other harrier birds alive today, the wood harrier was quite small. It had short wings but long legs. Even smaller harriers like the pied harrier and Montagu's harrier were bigger than the wood harrier.

Where Did the Wood Harrier Live?

The wood harrier lived in the forests of Hawaii. It hunted for insects or small birds, such as honeycreepers. Before people arrived in Hawaii, there were no mammals for these birds to hunt.

Because it lived in forests and hunted small prey, the wood harrier developed shorter wings and a smaller body. This made it look more like a sparrowhawk or the stilt owls called Grallistrix. This change is a good example of insular dwarfism. This means animals on islands sometimes become smaller over time.

Where Was the Wood Harrier Found?

Scientists believe the wood harrier only lived on the islands of Oahu and Molokai. There is no evidence of it on other Hawaiian islands.

The wood harrier likely became extinct because its home was destroyed. Also, the Pacific Rat was brought to Hawaii by early Polynesians. Since the wood harrier probably nested on the ground, these new rats would have been a big problem for its eggs and chicks.

How Was the Wood Harrier Discovered?

In 1981, two scientists, Helen F. James and Storrs L. Olson, found some bird bones. They first thought the bones belonged to a sparrowhawk. This was because they only had a few bones to study.

But in 1991, after finding more bones, they changed their minds. They realized the bird was actually a type of harrier and placed it in the Circus group. They named it dossenus. They explained the name by saying "dossenus" means a clown or jester in Latin. They thought it was a good name because the bird had "fooled" them at first about what kind of bird it was.

They also noted that harrier birds are found all over the world. This made it seem possible that a unique Hawaiian harrier species could have evolved. There had even been sightings of northern harriers in Hawaii before.

See also

In Spanish: Aguilucho mimo para niños