The Moa-nalos are extraordinary goose-like ducks that once inhabited the Hawaiian Islands until they all were exterminated by the indigenous people before the arrival of Captain Cook in 1778. It is believed the ancestor of the Moa-nalo species were from the genus Anas of which the mallard is most familiar. In Hawaiian, Moa means fowl and nalo means lost. The anatomy of the Moa-nalos indicate they were flightless and had adopted the ecological role similar to the famous tortoises of the Galapagos .

The new species, Thambetochen xanion was described from a complete rostrum that was collected on April 3,1980 by Storrs Olson, Helen James, Aki Sinoto and Eric Komori from Barber's Point Oahu.

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