Poo-uli, Po'o-uli, Black-faced Honeycreeper
Melamprosops phaeosoma by Terry Isaac(8 in. x 8 in. | Acrylic on Board | ID#3948)
Family: FRINGILLIDAE | Conservation Status: Critically Endangered | Population Trend: unknown
Artist Statement
The Po’o-uli, or Black-Faced Honeycreeper, is indigenous to the island of Maui in Hawaii. This highly endangered bird may already be extinct, as the last sighting was in 2004. This is the only native forest bird known for eating tree snails, but because of predation, habitat loss and mosquito inflicted diseases, this bird has suffered greatly. One of unique features of the Po’o-uli is that no other bird, living or fossilized, has the structure of this unique bird. It is very secretive and nearly silent, so finding it, or a mate, is challenging, also leading to its potential extinction.
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