The Kona grosbeak is an extinct species of Hawaiian honeycreeper. The Kona grosbeak was endemic to naio forests on ʻaʻā lava flows at elevations of 1,400–1,500 metres (4,600–4,900 ft) near the Kona District on the island of Hawaii. The species was already very rare when it was first discovered, being found in only about 10 square kilometres (3.9 sq mi), and was last collected in 1894. The reasons for its extinction are not very well known. The genus is known from fossils from Kauai, Oahu and Maui. It was unknown to the Native Hawaiians, and thus a name for it does not exist in the Hawaiian language.
Region
Hawaiian Islands (Island of Hawai‘i)
Typical Environment
Historically restricted to naio-dominated montane forests on ʻaʻā lava flows in the Kona District. It occupied a very small range of roughly 10 km² and favored dry to mesic forest patches with abundant naio fruit. The habitat comprised open-canopy woodland interspersed with rough lava substrates and scattered shrubs. Its specialized association with naio likely limited dispersal and made the species vulnerable to habitat changes. The species is now extinct and no longer occurs in the wild.
Altitude Range
1400–1500 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The Kona grosbeak was a Hawaiian honeycreeper with an exceptionally massive, crushing bill adapted to crack the hard drupes of the naio tree (Myoporum sandwicense). It was confined to a tiny area of montane naio forest near Kona on the Island of Hawai‘i and was already rare at discovery. Strikingly, it was unknown to Native Hawaiians and lacked a traditional Hawaiian name. The last known specimens were collected in 1894, and the species is now extinct.
Adult (above) and immature (below)Bill color was actually more pinkish, as in the image below.
Temperament
quiet, sluggish, and rather secretive
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats; generally short-distance flights between trees
Social Behavior
Observed singly or in small, loose parties within naio stands. Nesting was never documented with certainty, but it likely nested in trees like related honeycreepers. Territoriality was probably weak given the species’ low densities and patchy habitat use.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Vocalizations were reported as soft, simple chips and short notes rather than elaborate songs. The species was generally quiet, calling intermittently while feeding. No complex song repertoire is known.
