Po'ouli

The Po'ouli (Melamprosops phaeosoma) is a bird that is endemic to Hawai‘i. It is considered to be a member of the Drepanididae (Hawaiian honeycreeper) family, and is the only member of its genus. The vernacular name (often erroneously spelled "poouli", "po'o'uli", "pouli" or "poo-uli") means 'dark head' and refers to the bird's characteristic feature, a black 'bandit' mask (It should be noted that this is no original Hawaiian term; in fact, whether there was a native name as for many endemic birds of these islands is not known. The vernacular name should technically be alouli or alo uli, since po'o refers to the top, not the front side, of the head).

The po'ouli was discovered in 1973 on the north-eastern slopes of Haleakala on the island of Maui. It feeds mostly on snails, insects, and spiders and nests in native 'ohi'a forests.

It is believed that there are now two remaining individuals of this species, down from an estimated 200 when the species was first discovered. The dramatic population decline has been attributed to a number of factors, including habitat loss; mosquito-borne diseases; predation by pigs, rats, cats, and mongooses; and a decline in the native tree snails that the po'ouli relies on for food.

Both of the two remaining birds are at least seven years of age, and nearing the end of their reproductive lifespan. It is uncertain whether they are a male and female pair or both of the same sex, or even if they are still alive.

In 2002, a female was captured and taken to a male's home range in an attempt to get them to breed. The female, however, had flown back to her own nest, which has a mile and a half away, by the next day. There was also a ten-day expedition which was scheduled to begin on April 27, 2004. The goal of this was to capture all three birds, and bring them to a bird conservation center on the island in the hope they would produce offspring.

On September 9, 2004, a male po'ouli was captured and taken to the Maui Bird Conservation Center in Olinda, in an attempt to captively breed the bird. However, biologists could not find a mate for the male before it died of avian malaria on November 26, 2004. Biologists are now searching for the two remaining birds, which have not been seen for over a year. There has not been a po'ouli chick born in years. Tissue samples have been taken for possible future cloning which may be the species' only hope.

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