Hawaiʻi ʻŌʻō

Prachtmoho ( Moho nobilis)

The Prachtmoho ( Moho nobilis), also called a cock or Hawaii Hawaii Kraus oo, is a species of bird in the extinct genus of Kraus tails.

Description

The Prachtmoho was first described in 1786 by Blasius Merrem. The males reached a length of 32 cm, females were about 24 cm long. The wing length was from 11.0 to 11.5 inches. The tail was 19 cm long. The plumage was mostly glossy black with a brownish shade on the belly. Characteristic were the Büsch then deep yellow armpit feathers, the white outer tail feathers and the highly elongated and spirally twisted middle tail feathers. In females, the median tail feathers were shorter overall and less rotated. The iris was dark brown, bill and feet were black. When the young birds lack the yellow tufts of feathers.

Habitat

Its habitat were the top tree regions of the mountain forests on the largest island of Hawaii.

Way of life

The Prachtmoho was a shy, lively bird that lived in the tree crowns in small groups. The flight was to hear a fast, buzzing noise. He supported himself mainly by the honey of baumschmarotzenden Hawaiian lobelia plants of the genus Lobelia and the Ohia tree ( Metrosideros polymorpha ). His lure was a deep tuck -tuck. Since eggs and nests were never described, is about his breeding behavior almost nothing is known.

Extinction

The Prachtmoho was one of the birds that were hunted intensively for their plumage. Especially the yellow axillaries were they are doomed because they were used for the production of the precious robes of the noble estates. 1891 and 1892 he was frequently observed above the Kawoola and Kona Districts, 1894 he could no longer be detected here. In other regions, he survived longer. For the last time he was heard in 1934 on the slopes of Mauna Loa.

Museum specimens are available in several museums in the U.S. and in Europe, these include in Germany Berlin, Dresden, Bremen and Hamburg.