ʻŌʻū

The ‘Ō‘ū (the name is pronounced like "ooh-uuh" ) (Psittirostra psittacea), is a highly endangered or already extinct bird endemic to the Hawaiian islands. Though formerly widespread on the six largest islands of that group, this Hawaiian honeycreeper declined precipitously from the turn of the 20th century. The last recorded sighting was in 1989 on Kaua‘i. It is almost certainly extinct there, but unconfirmed reports occasionally are received from the areas of Big Island above Kilauea volcano. The largest and most secure population above Waiākea was driven from its habitat in 1984 when the area was devastated by a lava flow from Mauna Loa.

The ‘Ō‘ū was one of the most mobile honeycreeper species. Although it was not very active and usually slow-moving, it had remarkable stamina and when flying, would cover great distances. It is one of the few Hawaiian endemics that did occur on all the major islands at one time and did not differentiate into subspecies, suggesting that birds crossed between islands on a regular basis. Also, there was considerable seasonal movement between different altitudes according to the availability of the species' favorite food, the bracts and fruit of the ‘ie‘ie. This probably was the species' undoing, as it thus came in contact with mosquitoes transmitting avian malaria and fowlpox, which are exceptionally lethal to most honeycreepers.