Omao (bird)
Encyclopedia
The ʻŌmaʻo is an endemic
species of robin-like bird found only on the island of Hawaii
. Omao are closely related to the other endemic thrushes of the Hawaiian Islands
, the Kamao, the Olomao, and the Puaiohi
. Omao are found primarily in rainforest in the eastern and southeastern regions of the Big Island. Population estimates approximate 170,000 birds, making it the most common of the Hawaiian Thrushes. It appears to have a stable population, but because the entire population exists on a small range and is endemic to a single island, it is considered vulnerable.
Adult thrushes (males and females are similar in appearance) are mostly nondescriptive, with a grayish-brown head transitioning to a pale gray below. The back and primaries are a dull olive brown. They also have whitish vents and undertail coverts. The juveniles are also similarly dull in coloration, but have pale whitish-buff spotting on the wing coverts.
ʻŌmaʻos are mostly frugivores, but will take insects or other small invertebrates.
The bird has a song that is a set of jerky liquid notes,” whip-per-weeo-whip-per-weet”. Their many calls include a cat-like rasp, a frog like croak and even a high pitched police whistle type sound . During breeding, the birds make a bulky nest in a tree or tree fern, laying one to three bluish eggs inside.
The ʻŌmaʻo once lived on most of the land of Hawaii. Today it is restricted to the southern and eastern slopes of the island, mostly above 1,000 meters above sea level, 25 to 30 percent of its ancestral habitat. Its preferred habitat is rainforest, but can be found in high shrublands
on Mauna Loa
. Preferred trees include the Ohia and Koa
. The Hawaiian Thrush avoids areas with Banana poka (an invasive vine). In lower elevations, it appears to be gaining a natural resistance to avian malaria
. Threats to this species include habitat destruction from housing, tourism development and farming; introduced feral animal predation (mainly rats, cats and mongoose); invasive plant encroachment; and feral livestock such as goats and pigs.
The species has been aided by several conservation actions. These include the removal of pigs from several areas in the 1990s, such as Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge, and the control of rats, cats, and ungulates.
The Oma'o was first described to Western science in 1789 by Gmelin
Endemism in birds
An endemic bird area is a region of the world that contains two or more restricted-range species, while a "secondary area" contains one or more restricted-range species. Both terms were devised by Birdlife International....
species of robin-like bird found only on the island of Hawaii
Hawaii (island)
The Island of Hawaii, also called the Big Island or Hawaii Island , is a volcanic island in the North Pacific Ocean...
. Omao are closely related to the other endemic thrushes of the Hawaiian Islands
Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...
, the Kamao, the Olomao, and the Puaiohi
Puaiohi
The Puaiohi or Small Kauai Thrush The Puaiohi or Small Kauai Thrush The Puaiohi or Small Kauai Thrush ((Myadestes palmeri) is a rare species of songbird in the thrush family, Turdidae, that is endemic to the Hawaiian island of Kauai. It is closely related to the other four endemic Hawaiian...
. Omao are found primarily in rainforest in the eastern and southeastern regions of the Big Island. Population estimates approximate 170,000 birds, making it the most common of the Hawaiian Thrushes. It appears to have a stable population, but because the entire population exists on a small range and is endemic to a single island, it is considered vulnerable.
Adult thrushes (males and females are similar in appearance) are mostly nondescriptive, with a grayish-brown head transitioning to a pale gray below. The back and primaries are a dull olive brown. They also have whitish vents and undertail coverts. The juveniles are also similarly dull in coloration, but have pale whitish-buff spotting on the wing coverts.
ʻŌmaʻos are mostly frugivores, but will take insects or other small invertebrates.
The bird has a song that is a set of jerky liquid notes,” whip-per-weeo-whip-per-weet”. Their many calls include a cat-like rasp, a frog like croak and even a high pitched police whistle type sound . During breeding, the birds make a bulky nest in a tree or tree fern, laying one to three bluish eggs inside.
The ʻŌmaʻo once lived on most of the land of Hawaii. Today it is restricted to the southern and eastern slopes of the island, mostly above 1,000 meters above sea level, 25 to 30 percent of its ancestral habitat. Its preferred habitat is rainforest, but can be found in high shrublands
Hawaiian tropical high shrublands
The Hawaiian tropical high shrublands are a tropical savanna ecoregion in the Hawaiian Islands. They cover an area of on the upper slopes of the volcanoes Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa, Hualālai, and Haleakalā. It includes open shrublands, grasslands, and deserts...
on Mauna Loa
Mauna Loa
Mauna Loa is one of five volcanoes that form the Island of Hawaii in the U.S. state of Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean, and the largest on Earth in terms of volume and area covered. It is an active shield volcano, with a volume estimated at approximately , although its peak is about lower than that...
. Preferred trees include the Ohia and Koa
Koa
Acacia koa is a species of flowering tree in the pea family, Fabaceae. It is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands, where it is the second most common tree. The highest populations are on Hawaii, Maui and Oahu...
. The Hawaiian Thrush avoids areas with Banana poka (an invasive vine). In lower elevations, it appears to be gaining a natural resistance to avian malaria
Avian malaria
Avian malaria is a parasitic disease of birds.-Etiology:Avian malaria is most notably caused by Plasmodium relictum, a protist that infects birds in tropical regions...
. Threats to this species include habitat destruction from housing, tourism development and farming; introduced feral animal predation (mainly rats, cats and mongoose); invasive plant encroachment; and feral livestock such as goats and pigs.
The species has been aided by several conservation actions. These include the removal of pigs from several areas in the 1990s, such as Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge, and the control of rats, cats, and ungulates.
The Oma'o was first described to Western science in 1789 by Gmelin
Johann Friedrich Gmelin
Johann Friedrich Gmelin was a German naturalist, botanist, entomologist, herpetologist and malacologist.- Education :Johann Friedrich Gmelin was born as the eldest son of Philipp Friedrich Gmelin in 1748 in Tübingen...
External links
- ARKive-O'mao images
- O'mao videos, photos, and sounds on the Internet Bird Collection