I can aways count on John Avise to provide weekly bird photos, and today we feature the first part of a four-part series. John’s captions are indented, and you can enlarge the photos by clicking on them.
Birds in Hawaii, Part 1
This week we begin a stop at yet another overseas (albeit not foreign) destination. In 2008, I went on an invited seminar trip to Oahu and Kauai. My hosts graciously showed me around these beautiful islands and patiently indulged my passion for bird photography. So, here is Part 1 of a 4-part series on birds I photographed on these Hawaiian Islands.
Before the arrival of humans, the Hawaiian Islands had a species-rich endemic avifauna, much of which subsequently went extinct through direct or indirect human actions. Today, birds found on the Hawaiian Islands comprise a potpourri of a few surviving native species, plus some natural migrants, plus various other species that have been intentionally or accidentally introduced from disparate locations around the world. The net result is that bird-watching in the Hawaiian Islands has somewhat the aura of viewing birds in a tropical outdoor pet store. For this reason, I’ve indicated the native range of each species that I photographed.
Apapane (Himatione sanguinea) (native to the Hawaiian Islands):
Black Francolin (Francolinus francolinus) (introduced from India or the Middle East):
Black-crowned Night Heron, adult (Nycticorax nycticorax) (this species has a nearly worldwide distribution):
Black-crowned Night Heron, juvenile flying:
Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus) (native to Hawaii and throughout the Americas):
Bristle-thighed Curlews (Numenius tahitiensis) (breeds in upland tundra locations but winters in Hawaii and other tropical sites):
Bristle-thighed Curlew flying:
Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis) (originally native to Africa and Asia but has spread nearly worldwide):
Cattle Egret flying:
Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) (native to Africa and Eurasia):
Common Moorhen juvenile:
Common Myna (Acridotheres tristis) (native to Asia):
Common Myna in flight:
A great set! We had visited Maui, and yes it is a potpourri of native and introduced species. I can only wonder why some idiot released banded mongooses on the island!
I think the intent was to control rats, which themselves had been accidentally introduced earlier!
Beautiful, even if introduced.
Thank you for the beautiful collection of photos and birds.
Comment by Greg Mayer
Was the Moorhen introduced?
As always, great stuff. Looking forward to the next installments!
GCM
I don’t know how the Common Moorhen got to the Hawaiian Islands, but the Americas are home to another very closely related species, the Common Gallinule. Taxonomists split the Common Moorhen from the Common Gallinule in 2011. I don’t know how the Hawaiian birds fit into this systematic framework. Readers???
Thank you John! You certainly captured a splendid view of that Apapane.
I’m always so impressed with the simplicity and elegance of your bird photos. Thank you!
Checking these on Monday – still good, but for best results I definitely need to reserve time for them on Sundays.