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Polynesian Wattled Honeyeater (Foulehaio carunculatus)

Polynesian Wattled Honeyeater

Foulehaio carunculatus

Least Concern

Overview

The Polynesian wattled honeyeater (Foulehaio carunculatus), also known as the eastern wattled honeyeater, is a monotypic species of bird in the family Meliphagidae. It is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List and was previously considered conspecific with the Fiji wattled honeyeater and the kikau before being split by molecular studies.

Habitat

Endemic to the islands of the Central Pacific, the species occurs on American Samoa, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, and the Wallis and Futuna Islands. Its natural habitats include tropical moist lowland forests, tropical mangrove forests, and tropical moist montane forests.

Did you know?

The specific epithet carunculata derives from the Latin caruncula, meaning 'a small piece of flesh', which refers to the bird's wattle. The species was originally described in 1788 by Johann Friedrich Gmelin, who initially placed it in the genus Certhia alongside treecreepers.

Sources