Puaiohi

Giclee by Marian Berger

Also known as the small Kauai Thrush or small Kauai Solitaire.

From the series of thirty-three prints, Living Endemic Birds of Hawaii, by Marian Berger.

From bna.birds.cornell.edu and search: "The Puaiohi, or small Kauai Thrush, is a distinctive, rare, olive-brown thrush that is restricted to remote, high-elevation forest on the island of Kaua‘i in the Hawaiian Islands. It is the most divergent of the Hawaiian thrushes vocally, morphologically, and behaviorally. These differences led to its immediate recognition as a unique species while taxonomists struggled with the status of other Hawaiian thrushes."

The Puaiohi has always been considered rare, since its description and classification more than 100 years ago, and today it is listed as endangered. There are about 500 birds still living in the Alaka'i Wilderness Preserve on Kauai, which has been considered the last stronghold of native Hawaiian species. The Puaiohi is the only remaining native fruit-eater on Kauai and probably plays a significant role in seed dispersal. The San Diego Zoo began raising Puaiohi in 1996, and since 1999, 200 birds have been released back to the Alaka'i preserve. They have demonstrated long-term survival and produced offspring for several years.

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