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Telespiza cantans

Laysan Finch

Oahu Population - EXTINCT

The Laysan Finch was first discovered in 1890 on Laysan island for which they are named. Since they evolved on an island without predators, they had no fear of human beings and would even eat food out of the hand of observers.

Adults measure from 6 to 6.5 inches in length. Their diet is varied and includes seed, insects, flower buds and the contents of seabird eggs.

An adult male Laysan finch has a bright yellow head, throat, and breast; the lower back and rump is greyish-brown; the abdomen is whitish, and the neck has a grey "collar."
An adult female retains dark streaking on the yellowish crown and some streaking on the flanks; females also have a grey collar, yellowish throat and breast, and dark brown spots on the back.
In both sexes, birds take three years to reach adult plumage. In general, in the molt sequence, the amount of yellow increases with age in both sexes, and males gradually lose their spots. Second year and adult females are similar; second year males may also appear similar to second year and adult females.

Rabbits were introduced to Laysan Island in 1903, ate most of the vegetation on the island and nearly drove the Laysan Finch to extinction. There are about 10,000 Laysan Finches in the wild .

Oahu Population Data
The following is from Olson and James Prodromus of the Fossil Avifauna of the Hawaiian Islands: Historically ,the Telespyza group of finches is known only from the Leeward Islands,with T.cantans on Laysan and T.ultima on Nihoa. fossils reveal that this group was once widespread in the main islands, however. The species of Telespza obviously occupied lowland habitats and may have been restricted to them.
A few specimens from Barber's Point, Oahu, cannot be separated at the specific level from the Laysan Finch.



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

Aloha,
Michael Walther