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Aidemedia chascax
"Icterid-like gaper"


EXTINCT

Pictured above is Altamira Oriole ;

The Icterids are a large group of strong-billed birds limited in distribution to the New World. The group includes the orioles.

This is a newly described species which is part of the new Genus Aidemedia. The Aidemedia species are characterized as being Drepanidine birds with sturdy ,straight or decurved, very elongate bills, with extremely long retroarticular processes on the mandibles.

This Oahu specied was described from bones discovered at Barbers Point in July /August 1977 by Aki Sinoto and others.Additional Pleistocene fossils discovered at Ulupau Head on Oahu might also belong to this species.

Please do what you can to save the native Hawaiian forest bird species that remain.

Aloha,
Michael Walther