Hemignathus

Life-forms

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Cladus: Craniata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Cladus: Reptiliomorpha
Cladus: Amniota
Classis: Reptilia
Cladus: Eureptilia
Cladus: Romeriida
Subclassis: Diapsida
Cladus: Sauria
Infraclassis: Archosauromorpha
Cladus: Crurotarsi
Divisio: Archosauria
Subsectio: Ornithodira
Subtaxon: Dinosauromorpha
Cladus: Dinosauria
Ordo: Saurischia
Cladus: Theropoda
Cladus: Neotheropoda
Infraclassis: Aves
Ordo: Passeriformes
Subordo: Passeri
Infraordo: Passerida
Superfamilia: Passeroidea

Familia: Fringillidae
Subfamilia: Carduelinae
Genus: Hemignathus
Species: H. affinis – H. hanapepe – H. wilsoni

Species extinctae: †H. lucidus
Name

Hemignathus Lichtenstein, 1839
References

(*Fortsetz.*) Physikalische (-Mathematische) Abhandlungen der Koniglichen Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin ["1838"]: 449.
Vernacular names
English: Hawaiian Honeycreepers

Hemignathus is a Hawaiian honeycreeper genus in the subfamily Carduelinae of the finch family, Fringillidae.

These birds are endemic to the Hawaiian Islands.
Extinctions

Many of its species became extinct during the 19th and 20th centuries due to a combination of habitat destruction, introduced predators, and most importantly mosquito-borne diseases.

One species, the giant nukupu'u (Hemignathus vorpalis), is known only from fossils, and became extinct in prehistoric times when Polynesian settlers deforested the lowlands for agriculture.
Taxonomy

(Sub)Genus Hemignathus sensu stricto - pointed or long and downcurved bills, insectivores or nectarivores. The Nukupu‘u:

Giant nukupu‘u, Hemignathus vorpalis - prehistoric
Maui nukupuʻu Hemignathus affinis - probably extinct (late 1990s?)
Oʻahu nukupuʻu Hemignathus lucidus - extinct (1837)
Kauaʻi nukupuʻu Hemignathus hanapepe - probably extinct (late 1900s?)

(Sub)Genus Heterorhynchus - long and downcurved upper and short and stout lower bill, probes for insects

ʻAkiapolaʻau, Heterorhynchus wilsoni