The Lānaʻi hookbill is an extinct species of Hawaiian honeycreeper. It was endemic to the island of Lānaʻi in Hawaiʻi, and was last seen in the southwestern part of the island. George C. Munro collected the only known specimen of this species in 1913, which is housed in the Bernice P. Bishop Museum in Honolulu, and saw the species only twice more, once in 1916 and for a final time in 1918. No other sightings have been reported. They inhabited montane dry forests dominated by ʻakoko and ōpuhe. The Lānaʻi hookbill was monotypic within the genus Dysmorodrepanis and had no known subspecies. Its closest relative is believed to be the ʻōʻū, and some early authors suggested that the Lānaʻi hookbill was merely a deformed ʻōʻū. The Lānaʻi hookbill was a plump, medium-sized bird with greenish olive upperparts and pale whitish yellow underparts. It also had a yellow or white superciliary line and a white chin and throat. The wings also had a distinctive and conspicuous white wing patch. The hookbill's distinguishing characteristic was its heavy, parrotlike bill, which had the mandibles hooking sharply towards each other, leaving a gap between them when the beak was closed.
Region
Hawaiian Islands
Typical Environment
Restricted to montane dry forests on Lānaʻi, especially in the southwestern portion of the island. It occupied stands dominated by native shrubs and small trees such as ʻakoko and ōpuhe, with a structurally diverse understory. Substrates were often rocky and dry with patchy canopy cover. The species likely required intact native forest structure and plant communities.
Altitude Range
600–900 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Known from a single collected specimen and two additional sightings, the Lānaʻi hookbill is one of the rarest documented Hawaiian honeycreepers. It was confined to the island of Lānaʻi and vanished in the early 20th century, likely due to habitat loss and introduced predators and diseases. Its unique, strongly hooked upper and lower mandibles suggest a highly specialized feeding ecology.
Comparison between the heads of the palila and the Lānaʻi hookbill
The habitat of this bird was dominated by ʻakoko trees
Temperament
solitary and elusive
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Observations are extremely limited; it was likely inconspicuous and foraged singly or in pairs, similar to other specialized honeycreepers. Nesting behavior is unknown but probably involved cup nests placed in native shrubs or small trees, as in related taxa. Breeding seasonality is also undocumented.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
No recordings exist and the vocal repertoire is undocumented. It likely gave simple contact calls and soft notes typical of forest honeycreepers, but details remain unknown.
