The Laysan honeycreeper, also known as the Laysan ʻapapane or Laysan honeyeater, is an extinct species of finch that was endemic to the island of Laysan in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. The bird was first recorded in 1828, and in 1892 it received its scientific name from Walter Rothschild, who placed it in the genus Himatione along with the ʻapapane. The specific name, fraithii, refers to George D. Freeth, the self-appointed governor of Laysan, but was misspelled. Rothschild attempted to emend it to freethi in a later publication. This was accepted by most subsequent authors throughout the 20th century, and the bird was also considered a subspecies of the ʻapapane, as H. sanguinea freethii, for most of this time. By the 21st century, after further research, the original name was reinstated and it was considered a full species again. As a Hawaiian honeycreeper, a grouping within the finch subfamily Carduelinae, its ancestors are thought to have come from Asia.
Region
Northwestern Hawaiian Islands
Typical Environment
Historically restricted to the low, sandy coralline island of Laysan, which has a central hypersaline lake surrounded by coastal scrub and grassland. It foraged in native shrubs and low vegetation, taking nectar and gleaning insects from leaves and flowers. Nesting likely occurred in dense shrubbery or grass clumps, sheltered from wind and salt spray. The species occupied the entire small island wherever flowering shrubs and insects were available.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 15 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
This Hawaiian honeycreeper was confined to tiny Laysan Island and disappeared in the early 20th century after habitat collapse caused largely by introduced rabbits. It was long treated as a subspecies of the ʻapapane but is now recognized as a distinct species, with the original epithet fraithii reinstated. Like other honeycreepers, it evolved from a finch ancestor and specialized on nectar and small arthropods.
Bills of Hawaiian honeycreepers by Frederick W. Frohawk, 1893–1900; 23 (lower left) is the Laysan honeycreeper, with the variant spelling H. freethii
Taxidermied Laysan finch (upper left), Laysan honeycreeper (upper middle), and Laysan rail (below), 1903; the latter two are extinct
The ʻapapane, the closest relative of the Laysan honeycreeper
Adult male Laysan honeycreeper (A), adult female (B), juvenile (C), and ʻapapane (D), by John Gerrard Keulemans, 1893–1900
Laysan honeycreeper nest in a grass tuft, photographed by Walter K. Fisher, 1902
Temperament
active and alert
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Likely formed small groups around abundant flowering shrubs and defended rich nectar sources, as seen in related honeycreepers. Courtship probably involved song and display flights, with pairs nesting in dense vegetation. Parental care was biparental, with both adults provisioning nestlings with insects.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A lively mix of twitters, warbles, and thin, squeaky notes, delivered in short phrases. Calls included sharp chips used during foraging and contact.
