Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR)

Hemignathus virens
(Drepanididae)

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Species description or overview Taxonomy & nomenclature Pests of this species Images Distribution
In the news Full-text articles Abstracts Other resources  

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Species description or overview

Hemignathus virens species information from DLNR/DOFAW
Information about the native Hawaiian bird Hemignathus virens--including species description, distribution, and population status--is provided by DLNR/DOFAW (State of Hawaii).

Hawaiian Amakihi - Introduction
An introduction to the amakihi complex is provided by The Birds of North America. Access to other articles require subscription.

Hawaii amakihi information from the Pacific Island Network, National Park Service View info about Adobe Acrobat PDF format
Description, status, inventories, and sightings for the Hawaii amakihi are provided on this "Featured Resource" document from the NPS.

Amakihi interesting facts
Amakihi image and interesting facts are on the RightBird site.

Hawaii Amakihi - Images and overview
Amakihi information and images are provided by the Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project.

Hawaii amakihi overview View info about Adobe Acrobat PDF format
Hemignathus virens species status, biology, distribution, threats, and conservation actions are described by the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources (Hawaii's Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy, 2005).

Taxonomy & nomenclature

Hemignathus virens information from ITIS
The Integrated Taxonomic Information System ITIS provides authoritative taxonomic information on Hemignathus virens, as well as other plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of North America and the world.

Pests of this species

Knemidokoptic mange in Hawaii Amakihi (Hemignathus virens) on the island of Hawaii
Lesions resembling knemidokoptic mange on the feet and tarsometatarsi of two Hawaii Amakihi were observed while the researchers were mist-netting wild passerines at Manuka Natural Area Reserve on the island of Hawaii (J. Wildlife Disease, 2009).

Images

Amakihi honeycreeper image
Amakihi image and information about avian malaria are on the USGS Multimedia Gallery.

Amakihi image
Image of a captured amakihi is on Forestry Images.

Distribution

Hemignathus virens species information from DLNR/DOFAW
Information about the native Hawaiian bird Hemignathus virens--including species description, distribution, and population status--is provided by DLNR/DOFAW (State of Hawaii).

Amakihi distribution
Distribution of Hemignathus virens is from Hawaii's Birds, by Hawaii Audubon Society.

In the news

Amakihi (Hemignathus virens) overview
A brief overview of amakihi and drawings of the bird are on the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources blog.

Full-text articles

Effects of chronic avian malaria (Plasmodium relictum) infection on reproductive success of Hawaii amakihi  View info about Adobe Acrobat PDF format
Chronic malaria infections in amakihi did not significantly reduce reproductive success (The Auk, 2006).

Genetic structure and evolved malaria resistance in Hawaiian honeycreepers
Researchers suggest high disease pressure on amakihi rapidly selected for resistance to malaria at low elevation, leaving small pockets of resistant birds, and this resistance spread outward from the scattered remnant populations (Molecular Ecology, 2007).

The influence of nectar resources on nesting success and movement patterns of the common amakihi (Hemignathus virens)  View info about Adobe Acrobat PDF format
Amakihi is intrinsically tied to the nectar resources available within its breeding territory and a minimum of quantity of nectar must be present before territory establishment will occur (The Auk, 1984).

Alien plant invasions in native ecosystems of Hawaii: Management and research
Stone, Charles P., Clifford W. Smith, and J. Timothy Tunison (eds.) . 1992. Alien plant invasions in native ecosystems of Hawaii: Management and research. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Cooperative National Park Resources Studies Unit. ISBN: 0-8248-1474-6.

Phenology, reproductive potential, seed dispersal and predation, and seedling establishment of three invasive plant species in a Hawaiian rain forest
Medeiros, A.C. 2004. Phenology, reproductive potential, seed dispersal and predation, and seedling establishment of three invasive plant species in a Hawaiian rain forest. Ph.D. Dissertation, Department of Zoology, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu.

Abstracts

Altitudinal variations in nests of the Hawaiian honeycreeper Hemignathus virens virens
Temperature, altitude, and precipitation affected the placement and thermal conductance of amakihi nests (The Condor, 1984).

Breeding ecology of the hawaii common amakihi
Six major factors influenced amakihi productivity on Mauna Kea. The two most important were length of the breeding season and clutch size (The Condor, 1987).

Artificial incubation, hand-rearing, behavior, and release of common Amakihi (Hemignathus virens virens): Surrogate research for restoration of endangered Hawaiian forest birds
Techniques necessary to hatch, rear, and release endangered Hawaiian honeycreepers are available; however, restoration efforts will probably not succeed unless mosquito-free, predator-controlled reintroduction sites are available or strategies are developed to decrease mortality in naive honeycreepers exposed to disease after release (Zoo Biology, 1998).

Other resources

Phenology, reproductive potential, seed dispersal and predation, and seedling establishment of three invasive plant species in a Hawaiian rain forest
After rain forest of Haleakala National Park was fenced in the late 1980s, native vegetation responded vigorously yet three problematic plant invaders (Clidemia hirta, Hedychium gardnerianum, and Psidium cattleianum) continued to spread unabated and became of great concern to Park managers. This contribution provides a quantitative assessment of crucial life history junctures (quantitative phenology, reproductive potential, seed dispersal, seed predation, seedling establishment) to assist Haleakala NP and other managers of Hawaiian rain forests. It also provides detailed information for potentially identifying key characteristics in prevention, rapid response, and prioritization of incoming invasive species. (This document is the 2004 Ph.D. dissertation of Dr. Arthur C. Medeiros for the Department of Zoology at the University of Hawaii.)

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The Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk (HEAR) project was historically funded by the Pacific Basin Information Node (PBIN) of the National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII) through PIERC (USGS) with support from HCSU (UH Hilo). More details are available online. Pacific Basin Information Node (PBIN) National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII)
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