| ʻŌʻō | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Kauaʻi ʻōʻō (Moho braccatus), the last surviving member of theMohoidae (extinct c. 1987) | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | †Mohoidae |
| Genus: | †Moho Lesson, 1830[1] |
| Type species | |
| †Moho fasciculatus Latham, 1790 | |
| Species | |
See text | |
| Synonyms[2][3] | |
| |
Moho is agenus of extinctbirds in the Hawaiian bird family,Mohoidae, that wereendemic to theHawaiian Islands. Members of the genus are known asʻōʻō in theHawaiian language. Theirplumage was generally striking glossy black; some species had yellowish axillary tufts and other black outerfeathers. Most of these species became extinct by habitat loss, the introduction of mammalian predators (like rats, pigs, and mongooses), and by extensive hunting (their plumage was used for the creation of preciousʻaʻahu aliʻi (robes) andʻahu ʻula (capes) foraliʻi (Hawaiiannobility).[4][5] TheKauaʻi ʻōʻō was the last species of this genus to become extinct, likely a victim ofavian malaria.[6]
Until recently, the birds in this genus were thought to belong to the family Meliphagidae (honeyeaters) because they looked and acted so similar to members of that family, including manymorphological details. A 2008 study argued, on the basis of aphylogenetic analysis ofDNA from museum specimens, that the generaMoho andChaetoptila do not belong to the Meliphagidae but instead belong to a group that includes thewaxwings and thepalmchat; they appear especially close to thesilky-flycatchers. The authors proposed a family, Mohoidae, for these two extinct genera.[7]
The albumO'o by jazz composerJohn Zorn, released in 2009, is named after these birds.
The following species belong to this genus (in addition, subfossil remains of a species are known from Maui and known in literature as the Maui ʻōʻō,Moho sp.):
| Image | Common name | Scientific name | Extinct since | Localization |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Oʻahu ʻōʻō | Moho apicalis | c. 1837 | Oahu, Hawaii |
 | Bishop's ʻōʻō or Molokaʻi ʻōʻō | Moho bishopi | c. 1981 | Molokai,Maui, andLanai, Hawaii |
 | Kauaʻi ʻōʻō | Moho braccatus | c. 1987 | Kauai, Hawaii |
 | Hawaiʻi ʻōʻō | Moho nobilis | c. 1934 | Hawaii, Hawaii |