Psittirostra psittacea Gmelin, 1789

'O'u, Ou

 

 

Taxonomy & Nomenclature

Synonyms: Psittirostra olivacea Rothschild, 1900:193 (junior homonym); Psittirostra psittacea deppei Rothschild, 1905:45 [nomen novum for P. olivacea]

 

Conservation Status

Missing or Extinct (BirdLife International, 2024; NatureServe, 2026)

Last record: 1987 (Hawai'i) (BirdLife International, 2024); 1989 (Kaua'i) (BirdLife International, 2024; Kittelberger et al., 2024 [as 1989])

IUCN RedList status: Extinct

 

Distribution & Habitat

Hawai'i, Kaua'i, Lāna‘i, Maui & Moloka‘i, Hawaiian Islands, USA

 

Biology & Ecology

 

 

Hypodigm

[url=http://nlbif.eti.uva.nl/naturalis/detail.php?lang=uk&id=3]RMNH 90244[/url] (male)

[url=http://nlbif.eti.uva.nl/naturalis/detail.php?lang=uk&id=3]RMNH 90245[/url] (female)

[url=http://nlbif.eti.uva.nl/naturalis/detail.php?lang=uk&id=3]RMNH 110.017[/url] (male)

[url=http://nlbif.eti.uva.nl/naturalis/detail.php?lang=uk&id=3]RMNH 110.018[/url] (male)

 

Media

Vocal recordings and two photos: https://search.macaulaylibrary.org/catalog?taxonCode=ou&q=Ou%20-%20Psittirostra%20psittacea

 

Source: Wikimedia Commons.

 

References

Original scientific description:

Gmelin, J. F. (1789). Aves Anseres. Tome I. Pars II. In: Gmelin J.F. (Ed.) Caroli a Linnaei Systema Naturae per Regna Tria Naturae. 1(2): 501-1032.


Other references:

Amante-Helweg, V. L. U., Conant S. 2009. Hawaiian culture and forest birds. In: Pratt, T.K., et al. (ed.), Conservation biology of Hawaiian forest birds, pp. 59-79. Yale University Press, New Haven, CT.

American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1983. Check-list of North American Birds, 6th edition. Allen Press, Inc., Lawrence, Kansas. 877 pp.

American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1991. Thirty-eighth supplement to the American Ornithologists' Union Check-list of North American birds. Auk 108:750-4.

American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1998. Check-list of North American birds. Seventh edition. American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C.

Anmarkrud, Jarl Andreas and Lifjeld, Jan T. (In Press, 2016). Complete mitochondrial genomes of eleven extinct or possibly extinct bird species. Molecular Ecology Resources. DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.12600 [Abstract]

Banko, W. E. 1986. Avian history report 10, history of endemic Hawaiian birds, Part 1. Population histories--species accounts, forest birds: Maui Parrotbill, 'O'u, Palila, Greater Koa Finch, Lesser Koa Finch, and Grosbeak Finch. Cooperative National Park Research Studies Unit, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI. 

Berger, A. J. 1981. Hawaiian Birdlife. Second Edition. University Press of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii. xv + 260 pp.

BirdLife International. (2012). Psittirostra psittacea. In: IUCN 2013. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.1. (http://www.iucnredlist.org). Downloaded on 29 August 2013.

BirdLife International. (2024). Psittirostra psittacea. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2024: e.T22720734A248950875. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2024-2.RLTS.T22720734A248950875.en. Accessed on 01 October 2026.

Burney, David A. et al. (2001). Fossil evidence for a diverse biota from Kaua'i and its transformation since human arrival. Ecological Monographs 71(4): 615-641.

Butchart, Stuart H. M., Lowe, Stephen, Martin, Rob W., Symes, Andy, Westrip, James R. S. and Wheatley, Hannah. (2018a). Which bird species have gone extinct? A novel quantitative classification approach. Biological Conservation 227: 9-18. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2018.08.014

Butchart, Stuart H. M., Stattersfield, A. J. and Brooks, T. M. (2006). Going or gone: defining ‘Possibly Extinct’ species to give a truer picture of recent extinctions. Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club 126A: 7-24.

Butchart, Stuart H. M., Wheatley, Hannah, Lowe, Stephen, Westrip, James R. S., Symes, Andy and Martin, Rob W. (2018b). Data for: Which bird species have gone extinct? A novel quantitative classification approach. Mendeley Data, V1, doi: 10.17632/vvjhpmyxb4.1

Conant, S, H.D. Pratt, and R.J. Shallenberger. 1998. Reflections on a 1975 expedition to the lost world of the Alaka'I and other notes on the natural history, systematics, and conservation of Kaua'I birds. Wilson Bulletin 110(1): 1-22.

del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A., Fishpool, L.D.C., Boesman, P. and Kirwan, G.M. 2016. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 2: Passerines. Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.

Ehrlich, P. R., D. S. Dobkin, and D. Wheye. 1992. Birds in Jeopardy: the Imperiled and Extinct Birds of the United States and Canada, Including Hawaii and Puerto Rico. Stanford University Press, Stanford, California. 259 pp.

Elphick, Chris S., Roberts, David L. and Reed, J. Michael. (2010). Estimated dates of recent extinctions for North American and Hawaiian birds. Biological Conservation 143: 617-624.

Fisher, Diana O. and Humphreys, Aelys M. (2024). Evidence for modern extinction in plants and animals. Biological Conservation 298: 110772. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2024.110772

Fuller, Errol. (2013). Lost Animals: Extinction and the Photographic Record. London: Bloomsbury Publishing.

Greenwald, Noah, Suckling, Kieran F., Hartl, Brett and Mehrhoff, L. A. (2019). Extinction and the U.S. Endangered Species Act. PeerJ 7: e6803 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.6803 [Supplemental Information (Extinct or possibly extinct listed species)]

Hawaii Audubon Society. 1993. Hawaii's birds. Hawaii Audubon Society.

James, Helen F. (2004). The osteology and phylogeny of the Hawaiian finch radiation (Fringillidae: Drepanidini), including extinct taxa. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 141: 207-255, 17 figs.

Jouanin, Christian. (1962). Inventaire des oiseaux éteints ou en voie d’extinction conservés au Muséum de Paris. Terre et Vie 109: 275-301.

Kittelberger, Kyle D., Tanner, Colby J., Buxton, Amy N., Prewett, Amira and Şekercioğlu, Çağan Hakkı. (2024). Correlates of avian extinction timing around the world since 1500 CE. Avian Research 15: 100213. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avrs.2024.100213 [Supplementary data (List of 216 taxa)]

Knox, Alan G. and Walters, Michael P. (1994). Extinct and endangered birds in the collections of The Natural History Museum. British Ornithologists' Club Occasional Publications 1: 1-292. [pp. 250-252]

Martin, Thomas E., Bennett, Gareth C., Fairbairn, Andrew J. and Mooers, A. Ø. (2023). ‘Lost’ taxa and their conservation implications. Animal Conservation 26(1): 14-24. https://doi.org/10.1111/acv.12788 [Appendix S2 (1617 taxa not seen >10 years); Appendix S3 (562 taxa not seen >50 years)]

Matthews, J.R. and C.J. Moseley (eds.). 1990. The Official World Wildlife Fund Guide to Endangered Species of North America. Volume 1. Plants, Mammals. xxiii + pp 1-560 + 33 pp. appendix + 6 pp. glossary + 16 pp. index. Volume 2. Birds, Reptiles, Amphibians, Fishes, Mussels, Crustaceans, Snails, Insects, and Arachnids. xiii + pp. 561-1180. Beacham Publications, Inc., Washington, D.C.

NatureServe. (2026). Psittirostra psittacea: 'O'u. NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data accessed through NatureServe Explorer [web application]. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available at: https://explorer.natureserve.org/ [Accessed on 1 October 2026]

Pratt, H. D., P. L. Bruner, and D. G. Berrett. 1987. A Field Guide to the Birds of Hawaii and the Tropical Pacific. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey. 409 pp. + 45 plates.

Pyle, R.L. 1989. Hawaiian Islands region. American Birds 43: 369-371.

Reynolds, M.H., and T.J. Snetsinger. 2001. The Hawai‘I Rare Bird Search 1994—1996. Studies in Avian Biology 22: 133-143.

Roberts, D. L. and Jarić, I. (2016). Inferring extinction in North American and Hawaiian birds in the presence of sighting uncertainty. PeerJ 4: e2426.

Rothschild, Lionel Walter. (1907). Extinct birds: an attempt to write in one volume a short account of those birds which have become extinct in historical times, that is within the last six or seven hundred years: to which are added a few which still exist, but are on the verge of extinction. London: Hutchinson & Co. XXIX + 243 pp. [p. 37, pl. 4]

Scott, J. M., and C. B. Kepler. 1985. Distribution and abundance of Hawaiian native birds: a status report. Pages 43-70 in Temple, S. A. (editor). Bird Conservation 2. University of Wisconsin Press, Madison, Wisconsin. 181 pp.

Scott, J. M., C. B. Kepler, C. van Riper, and S. I. Fefer. 1988. Conservation of Hawaii's vanishing avifauna. BioScience 38:238-253. Scott, J. M., et al. 1988. Conservation of Hawaii's vanishing avifauna. BioScience 38:238-253.

Scott, J. M., S. Mountainspring, F. L. Ramsey and C. B. Kepler. 1986. Forest bird communities of the Hawaiian Islands: their dynamics, ecology and conservation. Studies in Avian Biology No. 9. Cooper Ornithological Society. Allen Press, Lawrence, Kansas. 431 pp.

Scott, J. M., F. L. Ramsey, M. Lammertink, K. V. Rosenberg, R. Rohrbaugh, J. A. Wiens, and J. M. Reed. (2008). When is an “extinct” species really extinct? Gauging the search efforts for Hawaiian forest birds and the Ivory-billed Woodpecker. Avian Conservation and Ecology - Écologie et conservation des oiseaux 3(2): 3.

Scott, Peter (ed.). (1965). Preliminary List of Rare Mammals and Birds, pp. 155-237. In: The Launching of a New Ark. First Report of the President and Trustees of the World Wildlife Fund. An International Foundation for saving the world's wildlife and wild places 1961-1964. London: Collins.

Snetsinger, T. J.; Reynolds, M. H.; Herrmann, C. M. (1998). 'O'u (Psittirostra psittacea) and Lana'i Hookbill (Dysmorodrepanis munroi). In: Poole, A.; Gill, F. (ed.), The birds of North America, No. 335-336, pp. 1-20. The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia.

Steinheimer, Frank D. (2002). Darwin, Rüppell, Landbeck & Co. - Important Historical Collections at The Natural History Museum, Tring. Bonner zoologische Beiträge 51(2-3): 175-188.

Suckling, Kieran, Slack, Rhiwena and Nowicki, Brian. (2004). Extinct and the Endangered Species Act. Centre For Biological Diversity. 63 pp.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). 1967. Native fish and wildlife: endangered species. Federal Register 32(48):4001.

U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1983. Kauai forest birds recovery plan. USFWS, Portland, USA.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). 1990. Endangered and threatened species recovery program: report to Congress. 406 pp.

USFWS. (2003). Draft Revised Recovery Plan for Hawaiian Forest Birds. United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Honolulu, Hawaii.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. (2015). 5-Year Review: Short Form Summary. Ou (Psittirostra psittacea). https://ecos.fws.gov/docs/five_year_review/doc4577.pdf

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). 2022. 'O'u (Psittirostra psittacea) 5-year review short form summary. Region 1, Pacific Regional Office/Pacific Islands Fish and Wildlife Office (PIFWO), Honolulu, Hawai'i. 13 pp.

Vargas, Pablo. (2023). Exploring ‘endangered living fossils’ (ELFs) among monotypic genera of plants and animals of the world. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution 11: 1100503. https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2023.1100503

https://extinctanimals.proboards.com/thread/8716/psittirostra-psittacea-ou

 

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