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Last seen 1837
OAHU O'O
Moho apicalis
The Oahu O'O (Moho apicalis) was last collected in 1837, and is one of the rarest Hawaiian birds in museum collections. Despite the cultural importance of the ''O''o as a source of yellow feathers for Hawaiian feather work, next to nothing is known about the species.
According to Scott B. Wilson in his book, "Birds of the Sandwich Islands," there are only 5 specimens of the Oahu O'O in museums, two in Germany and three in Great Britain. Two were collected by Captain George Dixon in 1787, one by Bryon in 1826 and two by Deppe in 1837. According to Sanford B. Dole in his "Synopsis of the Hawaiian Birds," its native name and habits were the same as the O'O's of Hawaii island.
The famous naturalist of Hawaii, George Munro wrote in his book "Birds of Hawaii," I did not collect on Oahu in the 1890's but Perkins who worked the Oahu forest very thoroughly said that this bird"was almost certainly extinct." "If the Oahu O'O had as loud a call as those of Hawaii, Kauai and Molokai it would soon betray its presence to anyone traversing the forest to any extent."
This extinct bird was a nectar-feeder in the lofty branches of the forest canopy. Named after an imitation of the loud, harsh 'oh-oh' call it made. The brilliant yellow feathers were extensively used by the native Hawaiians to make royal feather work. The royal bird-catcher guild used a sticky substance spread on the branches of an ohia tree to trap this bird, plucked a few of the yellow feathers and released the bird.
The Oahu O'O was a striking black, brown, white and yellow bird about 12 inches in length. Most of the plumage was sooty black, but the tail was brown with large patches of white. The two central tail feathers lacked the white tips, were narrower than the others, and tapered to end as upturned hairlike points. The sides and under tail coverts were white.
Sadly only the noble spirits of these incredibly beautiful honeyeaters still fly in the forests of Oahu.
