Two-year delay in plumage maturation of male and female elepaio

Author:

VanderWerf, Eric A.

Title:

Two-year delay in plumage maturation of male and female elepaio

Periodical:

Condor

Year:

2001

Volume:

103

Pages:

756-766

Subject:

Chasiempis sandwichensis Birds Color Delayed plumage maturation Elepaio Molting

Summary:

This study was done on the Elepaio (Chasiempis sandwichensis), from 1994 - 1997 at the Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge that is located on the east slope of Mauna Kea on the island of Hawaii. The Elepaio is a small, territorial, nonmigratory monarch flycatcher (Monarchidae) that comprises a genus that is endemic to the islands of Hawaii, Oahu, and Kauai and consists of three subspecies from these islands -- the C. s. sandwichensis, the C. s. ibidis, and the C. s. sclateri, respectively. Since this bird exhibits a great deal of plumage color variation that exists both among and within the islands of which they inhabit, considerable confusion and disagreements were caused among the taxonomists of Hawaiian birds regarding the number of Elepaio taxa, their distribution, and nomenclature. In addition, while previous studies focused on the ecology, breeding biology, and geographic plumage variation, (while molt patterns and plumage sequence were not investigated), this study focuses on the complete sequence of plumages and molts of the Hawaii Elepaio that is based on repeated observations of banded birds over a four-year period. Also discussed are the implications of this information for the theories of evolution of delayed plumage maturation.

Label:

Birds - Elepaio

URL:

http://cletus.uhh.hawaii.edu:2074/10.1650/0010-5422(2001)103%5B0756:TYDIPM%5D2.0.CO;2

Date:

November 2001

Collection:

Periodicals