Po'ouli, 2022
mixed media on paper with metallic accents
5.125" x 7"
SOLD
From the US Fish and Wildlife Service proposal for removing 23 species from the Federal Lists of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants due to extinction:
The po`ouli was known only from the island of Maui in the Hawaiian Islands and was first discovered in 1973, in high-elevation rainforest on the east slope of Haleakala (USFWS 2006, p. 2-146). Fossil evidence shows that the po`ouli once inhabited drier forests at lower elevation on the leeward slope of Haleakala, indicating it once had a much broader geographic and habitat range (USFWS 2006, p. 2-147). Po`ouli were observed singly, in pairs, and in family groups consisting of both parents and a single offspring (Pratt
et al.
1997, p. 1). Po`ouli foraged primarily on tree branches, making extensive use of the subcanopy and understory. They seemed to have preferred the native hydrangea (kanawao (
Broussaisia arguta
)), the native holly (kawau (
Ilex anomala
)), and ohia (
Metrosideros polymorpha
) (Pratt
et al.
1997, p. 4).
Po`ouli gleaned from, probed, and excavated moss mats, lichen, and bark for small invertebrate prey. Egg-laying took place in March and April for two nests observed, and clutch size was probably two eggs (Kepler et al. 1996, pp. 620-638). The female alone incubated eggs and brooded chicks, but both parents fed the chicks. Throughout nesting, the male fed the female at or away from the nest. Po`ouli often associated with mixed species foraging flocks of other insectivorous honeycreepers. Po`ouli were unusually quiet. Males rarely sang and did so mostly as part of courtship prior to egg-laying. The maximum lifespan of this species is estimated to be 9 years (The Animal Aging and Longevity Database 2020, unpaginated).
The po`ouli was a medium-sized, 0.9 ounce (26 gram), stocky Hawaiian honeycreeper, easily recognized by its brown plumage and characteristic black mask framed by a gray crown and white cheek patch. However, po`ouli were unusually quiet. Although distinctive visually, because the species rarely vocalized, it was difficult to survey by audio detections.