I have about three wildlife-photo submissions in reserve, so we’re going to run out soon. If you have some good photos (not blurry or small!), please send them to me. Thanks!
Today is Sunday, and we’re resuming John Avise‘s series on the birds of Hawaii; this is the last installment. John’s captions are indented, and you can enlarge his photos by clicking on them.
Birds in Hawaii, Part 4
This week we conclude our 4-part photographic journey into native and introduced bird species that you might encounter on a natural-history tour of the Hawaiian Islands.
Red-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus cafer) (native to the Indian subcontinent):
Red-whiskered Bulbul (Pycnonotus jocosus) (native to Asia):
Salmon-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua moluccensis) (native to Indonesia):
Spotted Dove (Spilopelia chinensis) (native to the Indian subcontinent and southeast Asia):
Wedge-tailed Shearwater (Ardenna pacifica) (widespread in tropical Pacific and Indian oceans):
Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta) (native to North America):
White Tern (Gygis alba) (widespread in the world’s tropical oceans):
White Tern flying:
White-rumped Shama (Copsychus malabaricus), male in bird-bander’s hand (native to India and southeast Asia):
White-rumped Shama female:
Yellow-fronted Canary (Serinus mozambicus) (native to Africa):
Zebra Dove (Geopelia striata) (native to southeast Asia):
Beautiful photos! Thanks so much!
Ooooo…
Ahhhhh….
Thank you for another great bird post! I look forward to these every Sunday.
Great photos. One question has always puzzled me. The avifauna (and other fauna and flora) of the Hawaiian archipelago has been severely disturbed by human activity—both through habitat destruction (alteration) and through introduction of non-native species. But how is it that so many non-native species from far flung places all around the world are able to get a toehold? Why aren’t conditions for those species at least as difficult as they are for native species? Why is it that native species seem to be at a disadvantage?*
*He asks from his armchair on the vast North American continent, surrounded by non-native Eastern Cottontail bunnies, American Opossums, and Eastern Gray Squirrels.
It’s my understanding that in modern times, the main factor wiping out native Hawa’iian birds has been avian malaria, to which the natives have no immunity because of their long isolation in a malaria-free environment. The introduced birds are immune because of their longer exposure to malaria. Habitat destruction has also contributed to the demise of native species, many of which evolved to use particular Hawa’iian fruits or other resources, and the introduced birds are unaffected by that because they are ecological generalists who don’t mind ‘weedy’, disturbed habitats.
Thank you for that information.
Thank you, Susan, for your to-the-point insights about this complex issue.
Thank you!
+1
Very nice!
Yes, the photos are beautiful as always. Hawa’ii is the last place I’d expect to see a Western Meadowlark!
I was curious to see the photos of the White Tern. The many that I have seen, in the Seychelles, had brilliant blue bills and legs. Are the Hawaiian ones really different, or or the colours somehow corrupted?
Thank you for the beautiful photos. I especially enjoyed the tern in flight. It has such interesting angles in the wings and tail.