From Opus

Photo by bkrownd
Locality: 3 mile kipuka, Powerline Road, eastern saddle, Hawai'i Island.

Oreomystis mana

[edit] Identification

Hawai'i creepers are an inconspicuous grey and green, and are very easily confused with the far more numerous Hawaii Amakihi. The distinctive plumage characteristics such as the "racoon mask" across the eyes and the pale throat are most strongly developed in adult males, but aren't always obvious in females and juveniles. The creeper's bill is paler and straighter than that of the 'amakihi.

[edit] Distribution

Windward Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa. They are most easily observed in the Pua 'Akala tract of Hakalau Forest NWR, and can be found with great persistence in some of the larger kipukas on the eastern saddle along Powerline Road and Pu'u O'o Trail.

[edit] Taxonomy

This is a monotypic species¹.

A recent proposal will place it in its own monotypic genus Manucerthia.

[edit] Habitat

Only found at higher elevations.

[edit] Behaviour

Hawai'i creepers glean insects from trunks, branches and undergrowth. They will occasionally peck at and pick away bark. The similar-looking Hawai'i 'amakihi often have a similar foraging behavior, but creepers tend to prefer deeper canopy forest, and spend more time foraging lower on tree trunks and large branches than 'amakihi do.

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2009. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2009. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
2. Birdforum thread mentioning the proposed new genus

[edit] External Links