Anianiau

Overview

The ʻanianiau (Magumma parva) is a small, brightly plumaged Hawaiian honeycreeper endemic to the island of Kauai. Classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, it is the smallest honeycreeper in Hawaii and belongs to the monotypic genus Magumma.

Identification

• Bright yellow plumage in males, while females exhibit a duller, uniform yellow-green color.
• Smallest Hawaiian honeycreeper at 10 cm in length and approximately 10 g in mass.
• Features a slightly curved bill.
• Call consists of a pair of notes, tew-weet, and song is a trill of wee-see, wee-see, wee-see.

Habitat

Found in mesic and wet forests at elevations above 600 m, with highest densities occurring above 1,100 m. Dominant tree species in its habitat include koa, ʻōhiʻa lehua, ʻōlapa, and lapalapa. The species is restricted to upper elevation forests on the island of Kauai.

Diet

Mainly feeds on nectar from flowers of plants such as ʻōhiʻa lehua, ʻōhelo, and ʻalani. It also takes arthropods from trees, shrubs, or vines.

Did you know?

The ʻanianiau was first discovered in the 1830s but was not seen again for another fifty years, remaining unstudied until the 1960s.