The olomao (Myadestes lanaiensis) is a small, dark solitaire endemic to Maui, Lānai and Molokai in the Hawaiian Islands. It is currently listed as Critically Endangered under the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Description It grows up to 7 inches in length. The male and female of the species look similar. It is dark brown above and gray below with blackish legs.
Call Its song consists of a complex melody of flute-like notes, liquid warbles, and gurgling whistles. The call is a catlike rasp, with an alternate high pitched note similar to a police whistle. Behavior and diet It occurs in densely vegetated gulches, frequenting the understory where it often perches motionless in a hunched posture. Like other native Hawaiian thrushes, it quivers its wings and feeds primarily on fruit and insects. Conservation The olomao is still classified as Critically Endangered due to the possibility that an extremely small population or individuals may still exist. The last definitive sighting occurred on Oahu in the 1850s, on Lānai in 1933, and on Molokai in 1980 in the Kamakou Preserve. In the late 19th century, it was considered common to abundant on Maui, Lānai, and Molokai, but land clearing, including the establishment and subsequent development of Lānai City, and avian malaria brought on by introduced mosquitoes decimated the birds. Introduced animals such as feral pigs (which create pools of water from their wallows that allow mosquitoes to breed) also aided in its demise.
Taxonomy It is closely related to the other species of Hawaiian thrushes, the puaiohi (M. palmeri), the ōmao (M. obscurus), and the extinct kāmao (M. myadestinus). The Maui birds may have been a separate subspecies, but they became extinct before the late 19th century and before any studies could be performed.
Two subspecies are recognized:
M. l. lanaiensis - Lānai thrush M. l. rutha - Molokai thrush
The extinct ʻāmaui that was endemic to Oʻahu has sometimes been considered as a subspecies.
References
External links Species factsheet - BirdLife International 3D view of specimen RMNH 110.026 at Naturalis, Leiden (requires QuickTime browser plugin)