Plumages, Molts, and Structure

Little is known of molt patterns. Rothschild (Rothschild 1893a Rothschild, L. W. (1893a). Avifauna of Laysan and the neighboring islands with a complete history to date of the birds of the Hawaiian possessions, Pt. III. London, U.K: R. H. Porter. Close : 121) suggested “the many parti-coloured feathers of most of the intermediately coloured specimens show that the red plumage cannot be acquired suddenly by 1 moult. Very likely these birds do not assume their final plumage until they are several years old.” Bryan (Bryan 1908 Bryan, W. A. (1908). Some birds of Moloka'i. Occas. Pap. Bernice P. Bishop Mus. 4:133-176. Close ) also suggested that they take more than 1 yr to mature.

Delayed plumage maturation (Morin 1992b Morin, M. P. (1992b). The breeding biology of an endangered Hawaiian honeycreeper, the Laysan Finch. Condor 94:646-667. Close , Lepson and Freed 1995 Lepson, J. K. and L. A. Freed. (1995). Variation in male plumage and behavior of the Hawaii Akepa. Auk 112:402-414. Close , Baker and Baker 2000b Baker, H., and P. E. Baker. 2000. Maui ʻAlauahio (Paroreomyza montana). In The Birds of North America, No. 504 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA. Close ) has been found in at least 12 species of Hawaiian honeycreeper (PEB). From specimens in museums and from our knowledge of Maui ‘Alauahio, as well as the above historic data we suggest that it took at least 18–24 mo for adult plumage to develop, and that the sequence was similar to that for Maui ‘Alauahio (see Baker and Baker 2000b Baker, H., and P. E. Baker. 2000. Maui ʻAlauahio (Paroreomyza montana). In The Birds of North America, No. 504 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA. Close ). Molt strategy was assumed to be similar to that of Maui ‘Alauahio (PEB and HB). No museum specimens were in molt when collected, and only 3 birds were collected between Jul and Oct, the period during which all molts may have taken place. Plumage descriptions (taken by PEB and HB) are from representative specimens in LM, BPBM, and CMZ; capitalized color names and numbers follow the Naturalists Color Guide devised by Smithe (Smithe 1975 Smithe, F. B. (1975). Naturalist's Color Guide. American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, USA. Close ).

Hatchlings

No information.

Juvenile Plumage

Unknown Sex. LM specimen no. B.27.8.1900.10b; collected 27 Aug 1900; labeled as nestling, but development indicates recently-fledged; PEB. Forehead, crown, and nape Sepia (color 219) with Raw Umber (123) highlights; supercilium Grayish Horn Color (91); postocular stripe Buff (124) to Sepia; lores pale Buff; auriculars Smoke Gray (44) with some pale Buff wash; back and scapulars Raw Umber; rump Buff to Raw Umber; uppertail-coverts pale Raw Umber; malar area Smoke Gray (45) with some pale Buff wash; chin Warm Buff (118) with some Grayish Horn Color, and a flush of Spectrum Orange (17); throat 10% Buff and 90% Grayish Horn Color; breast and belly mix of 90% Buff and 10% Grayish Horn Color; flanks Grayish Horn Color; vent Buff; undertail-coverts and crurals Buff to Grayish Horn Color.

Wing-feathers: all wing feathers Sepia (119); lesser-, median coverts, and alula no distinct edging; outer webs of greater-, carpal-, and primary coverts edged Tawny (38), distinct wing-bars formed by Tawny tips on greater- and median coverts; outer webs of primaries, secondaries, and tertials edged Tawny; wing-lining off-white with pale Buff wash, rest of underwing, including underside of primaries, silver-gray (no Smithe number); tail Sepia (119), edged Tawny to Buff.

Basic I Plumage

No information on Prebasic I molt; molt strategy of Maui ‘Alauahio indicates Prebasic I molt was likely to occur between Sep and Nov (within 12 mo after hatching) with body-feather replacement only (HB and PEB).

Male. BPBM specimen no. 4598; collected Jun 1907. Forehead 90% Grayish Horn Color with 10% pale Raw Umber; crown, nape, and supercilium Brownish-Olive (29); postocular stripe Smoke Gray (45); lores Warm Buff; auriculars Smoke Gray (45) with some pale Warm Buff wash; back and scapulars Brownish-Olive; rump Raw Umber; uppertail-coverts pale Raw Umber; malar area Smoke Gray (45) with some Warm Buff; chin off-white with 20% Warm Buff; throat 50% off-white with 40% Warm Buff and 10% Spectrum Orange; breast and belly mix of 80% Buff, 10% Orange Yellow (18), and 10% pale Grayish Horn Color on the sides of the breast; flanks Grayish Horn Color; vent pale Warm Buff; undertail-coverts Warm Buff; crurals Grayish Horn Color.

Wing-feathers: Lesser-coverts edged Grayish Horn Color, but no other color visible due to overlapping feathers; all remaining wing feathers Olive-Brown (28); outer webs of median-, and greater coverts edged Smoke Gray (45), 2 median coverts edged Tawny, distinct wing-bars formed by pale tips of greater- and median coverts; primaries edged True Cinnamon (139); secondaries edged Antique Brown (37); outer webs of tertials edged Smoke Gray (45); wing-lining off-white, with very pale-yellow wash, rest of underwing, including underside of primaries, silver-gray; tail Olive-Brown, edged Spectrum Orange.

Female. BPBM specimen no. 4586; collected 8 May 1907. Plumage fresh. Forehead Dark Drab (119B), with pale Buff edging on front of forehead; crown, nape, and supercilium Brownish-Olive; postocular stripe Light Drab (119C); lores blackish; auriculars 30% Buff, 20% Tawny and 50% Olive-Brown; back and scapulars Brownish-Olive; rump Raw Umber; uppertail-coverts Antique Brown; malar area, chin, and throat Warm Buff; breast and belly 80% Buff and 20% Warm Buff wash more to breast than belly; flanks Smoke Gray (45); vent pale Buff; undertail-coverts Warm Buff; crurals Smoke Gray (45).

All wing feathers Hair Brown (119A); lesser coverts edged Antique Brown, median- and greater coverts tipped Buff, forming distinct wing-bars; outer webs of primaries, secondaries, and tertials edged Olive (30) to Buff; wing-lining white, with pale Buff wash, rest of underwing, including underside of primaries, silver-gray; tail pale Antique Brown.

Basic II Plumage

No information on Prebasic II molt; molt strategy of Maui ‘Alauahio indicates Prebasic II molt was likely to occur between Jul and Sep in second calendar year; probably complete (HB and PEB).

Male. BPBM specimen no. 4597; collected Jun 1907. Forehead Flame Scarlet (15); crown and nape scarlet (14); supercilium and postocular stripe Flame Scarlet; lores Flame Scarlet, mixed with some scarlet; auriculars Flame Scarlet, with some white mixed in; back and scapular feathers Grayish Horn Color, edged Flame Scarlet; rump mainly Spectrum Orange, with some feathers tipped Flame Scarlet; uppertail-coverts Flame Scarlet; malar area, chin, and throat Flame Scarlet; breast 90% Flame Scarlet, with 10% Warm Buff; belly 50% off-white and 50% Flame Scarlet, giving distinct spotted appearance; flanks Grayish Horn Color, edged Flame Scarlet; vent pale Warm Buff mixed with white, with some Flame Scarlet wash; undertail-coverts Flame Scarlet; crurals Grayish Horn Color.

Wing-feathers: All Dark Neutral Gray (83), lesser coverts edged Russet (34) and Flame Scarlet; outer webs of median-, greater-, and carpal-coverts edged Russet, with tips edged Cinnamon (39); Cinnamon (39) tips of median- and greater coverts form distinct wing-bars; primary coverts and alula edged Cinnamon (39); outer webs of primaries, secondaries, and tertials edged Pratt's Rufous (140); wing-lining off-white, with some Chrome Orange (16) wash; rest of underwing, including underside of primaries, silver-gray; tail Dark Neutral Gray, edged Chrome Orange.

Female. BPBM specimen no. 4600; collected Jun 1907. Forehead, crown, and supercilium Grayish Horn Color, with some Chrome Orange feather-tips; nape Olive-Brown, with Spectrum Orange flecks; postocular stripe Grayish Horn Color, with some Chrome Orange tips and 10% Buff; lores Buff; auriculars even mix of Buff, Spectrum Orange, and Fuscous (21); back and scapulars Olive-Brown, with Spectrum Orange flecks; rump Brownish-Olive, with some traces of Spectrum Orange; uppertail-coverts Raw Sienna (136); malar area has even mix of Buff, Chrome Orange, and Medium Neutral Gray (84); chin and throat 50% Warm Buff and 50% Chrome Orange; breast 80% Buff, with 20% Warm Buff; belly 70% Buff and 30% Warm Buff; flanks Grayish Horn Color; vent Buff; undertail-coverts Warm Buff; crurals Grayish Horn Color.

Wing-feathers: All Olive-Brown, lesser coverts have no distinct edging; median-, and greater-covert feathers tipped Buff producing distinct wing-bars; narrow outer edge of greater coverts Tawny; outer webs of carpal- and primary coverts edged Tawny; outer webs of primaries and secondaries edged Tawny; outer webs of tertials edged Drab-Gray (119D), wing-lining whitish, with pale Warm Buff and pale Drab-Gray wash, rest of underwing, including underside of primaries, silver-gray; tail Olive-Brown, edged Raw Umber.

Definitive Basic Plumage

No information on Definitive Prebasic molt; molt strategy of Maui ‘Alauahio indicates Definitive Prebasic molt was likely to occur between Jul and Sep in third calendar year; probably complete (HB and PEB).

Male. Overall plumage has been described as “flame color-pure scarlet,” “deep scarlet-vermilion above but brilliant flame scarlet below,” “flame red,” “brilliant flame red” (Wilson and Evans 1890–1899, Rothschild 1893a Rothschild, L. W. (1893a). Avifauna of Laysan and the neighboring islands with a complete history to date of the birds of the Hawaiian possessions, Pt. III. London, U.K: R. H. Porter. Close , Bryan 1908 Bryan, W. A. (1908). Some birds of Moloka'i. Occas. Pap. Bernice P. Bishop Mus. 4:133-176. Close , Pratt 1992b Pratt, H. D. (1992b). Systematics of the Hawaiian "Creepers" Oreomystis and Paroreomyza. Condor 94:836-846. Close , respectively).

Male. BPBM specimen no. 4595, collected 28 Apr 1907. Forehead, crown, nape, supercilium, and postocular stripe Flame Scarlet; lores and auriculars mix of Flame Scarlet and Scarlet (16); feathers at sides of gape Buff; back and scapulars Scarlet; rump, uppertail-coverts, malar area, chin, throat, breast, belly, flanks, vent, and undertail-coverts Flame Scarlet; crurals Pale Neutral Gray (86), some with Flame Scarlet tips.

Wing-feathers: All Dark Neutral Gray (83), with outer webs broadly edged Flame Scarlet, except outer webs of primaries edged Chrome Orange; wing-lining off-white, with pale Scarlet wash; rest of underwing, including underside of primaries, silver-gray; tail Dark Neutral Gray, broadly edged Flame Scarlet. No wing-bars.

Female. CMZ specimen no. 27/DRE/8/2/39. Forehead darkish Olive-Brown, with feather tips Chrome Orange, producing a mottled appearance; crown Olive-Brown, with some Chrome Orange tips to feathers; nape Olive-Brown; supercilium and postocular stripe pale Drab-Gray; lores Buff; auriculars 20% Buff and 80% Olive-Brown; back and scapulars Olive-Brown; rump Raw Umber, uppertail-coverts Antique Brown; malar area 90% Buff, with 10% Chrome Orange; chin and throat 92% Buff, with 8% Spectrum Orange; breast 20% Buff, with 80% Smoke Gray; belly 70% Buff, with 30% Spectrum Orange; flanks Smoke Gray; vent Buff; undertail-coverts and crurals Smoke Gray.

Wing-feathers: All Fuscous; outer webs of lesser- and primary coverts edged Antique Brown; median coverts edged Pale Pinkish Buff (121D); greater-, carpal-coverts, and alula narrowly edged Smoke Gray (45); no distinct wing-bars; outer webs of primaries and secondaries edged Cinnamon (39); outer webs of tertials edged Smoke Gray (45); wing-lining off-white, with pale Buff wash; rest of under-wing, including underside of primaries, silver-gray; tail Fuscous, edged Chrome Orange.

Tail Shape

Slightly notched, 12 rectrices.

Wing Formula

Wing-tip rounded, 9 primaries and 9 secondaries; P6 longest, P9 = P4, P9–P6 >6 mm, P5–P8 emarginated along approximately 20 mm (HB). Formula similar in all Paroreomyza and similar to Oreomystis spp., differs from ‘amakihi spp. in which P6–P8 are longest and same length, and P9–P6 <3 mm (HB).

Descriptions are from original labels on BPBM specimen nos. 6017 to 6021 (PEB), unless otherwise referenced.

Bill And Gape

“The colour of the bill ... varies much (probably according to age), from brown to grey on the upper mandible, from creamy yellow to deep rose-colour on the lower mandible.” “Adult male; mandible light grey at tip, shading to pale yellow at base, maxilla light grey at tip and base, darker in center,” young birds “upper mandible brown with the tip light, lower mandible deep salmon-colour” (Rothschild 1893a Rothschild, L. W. (1893a). Avifauna of Laysan and the neighboring islands with a complete history to date of the birds of the Hawaiian possessions, Pt. III. London, U.K: R. H. Porter. Close ). From museum labels: “Mandible light pinkish-brown. Maxilla light greyish-brown.”

Iris

Adult male: “Directly after being shot the iris is hazel,” young bird's iris dark brown (Rothschild 1893a Rothschild, L. W. (1893a). Avifauna of Laysan and the neighboring islands with a complete history to date of the birds of the Hawaiian possessions, Pt. III. London, U.K: R. H. Porter. Close ). From museum labels: Brown in most specimens (BPBM specimen nos. 6018–6021, grayish in 1 female—specimen no. 6017).

Legs And Feet

“The colour of the feet ... varies much (probably according to age), . . . from brown to light grey with a pink tinge on the feet.” Adult male: Light pinkish-brown (Wilson and Evans 1890–1899: 44). “Tarsi and feet greyish, with a pink tinge; soles flesh colour,” young birds “tarsi and feet grey; soles flesh-colour” (Rothschild 1893a Rothschild, L. W. (1893a). Avifauna of Laysan and the neighboring islands with a complete history to date of the birds of the Hawaiian possessions, Pt. III. London, U.K: R. H. Porter. Close ).

Käkäwahie. No live Käkäwahie were ever measured, so biometrics were obtained from specimens in museum collections. There are 138 known Käkäwahie specimens: Banko (Banko 1979c Banko, W. E. (1979c). History of endemic Hawaiian birds specimens in museum collections. Univ. of Hawai'i, Honolulu: Avian Hist. Rep. 2. Coop. Natl. Park Res. Stud. Unit. Close ) recorded 134 specimens in museums around the world, and PEB and HB located an additional 4, including 3 in a private collection on Maui. PEB and HB have examined and measured, or been provided with descriptions and measurements for 127 specimens: 41 from American Museum of Natural History, New York (AMNH); 41 from BPBM; 16 from British Museum of Natural History, London (BMNH); 10 from Cambridge University Museum of Zoology, Cambridge, England (CMZ); 5 from Museum of Compara-tive Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA (MCZ); 4 from National Museum of New Zealand, Wellington (NMNZ); 3 from Museum National D'Histoire Naturelle, Paris (MNHN); 3 from Liverpool Museum, Liverpool, England (LM); 1 from National Museum of Natural History, Washing-ton DC (NMNH); 1 from Staatliches Museum für Tierkunde, Dresden, Germany (SMFT); 2 from Museum für Naturkunde der Humboldt-Universität, Berlin, Germany (ZMB). Measurements from 7 specimens of indeterminate sex were rejected leaving 120 specimens for analysis (Table 1).

Linear Measurements

High degree of overlap in measurements between the sexes; wing length may be the most useful indicator; >66 mm for males, and <58 mm female, but much overlap exists.

Mass

No information.

O'ahu 'Alauahio. No live O'ahu 'Alauahio have ever been measured, so biometrics were obtained from specimens in museum collections. There are 120 known O'ahu 'Alauahio specimens: Banko (Banko 1979c Banko, W. E. (1979c). History of endemic Hawaiian birds specimens in museum collections. Univ. of Hawai'i, Honolulu: Avian Hist. Rep. 2. Coop. Natl. Park Res. Stud. Unit. Close ) recorded 69 specimens in museums around the world, and PEB, HB, and J. Lepson located an additional 51. PEB and HB have examined and measured, or been provided with descriptions and measurements for 115 specimens: 29 from AMNH; 38 from BPBM; 4 from BMNH; 18 from CMZ; 4 from MCZ; 3 from ZMB; 3 from SMFT; 12 from University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA (MVZ); 4 from University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA (UCLA). Measurements from 14 specimens of indeterminate sex were rejected leaving 101 specimens for analysis (Table 2).