Evolutionary consequences of extinctions in populations of a Hawaiian honeycreeper

Author:

Smith, Thomas B., Freed, Leonard A., Lepson, Jaan K., Carothers, John H.

Title:

Evolutionary consequences of extinctions in populations of a Hawaiian honeycreeper

Periodical:

Conservation Biology

Year:

1995

Volume:

9

Pages:

107-113

Subject:

Iiwi Birds evolution Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge Ohia

Summary:

This document describes how the long decurved of the bill of the Iiwi (Vestiaria) once matched the flowers of the Hawaiian Lobelioideae, a nectar source for these birds, which had long decurved corollas. However, due to the declines and extinctions of the lobelioids, the Iiwi now feeds mainly on the flowers of the ohia tree, (Metrosideros polymorpha), which lack corollas. As a result, evidence of change in morphological characters have shown that the bill length of the Iiwi is now shorter than in specimens that were collected before 1902.

Label:

Birds - General

Date:

February 1995

Collection:

Periodicals