'Akohekohe by Ken _Gilliland
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Description
The 'Akohekohe or Crested Honeycreeper is found on the northeastern slope of Haleakala Volcano on the island of Maui. The species formerly occurred on the neighboring island of Moloka'i, but that population is now extinct. Almost the entire population is found between 1,500 and 2,300 m of elevation, in forest permanently enshrouded in clouds and mist.
The Hawaiian name for this species, pronounced "ah ko-hay ko-hay," comes from a commonly heard call that it makes. The ‘Akohekohe is very aggressive and will chase off ‘Apapane and I’Iwi for possession of 'ōhi'a lehua blossoms. An 'Apapane is seen in the background on this image.
'Akohekohes feed primarily in the canopy on 'ōhi'a lehua trees, they also feed on flowering understory shrubs. The destructive activities of feral pigs, together with the encroachment of non-native plants into formerly pristine forest, may cause 'Akohekohes to search for food at lower elevations, where infectious mosquitoes and avian diseases are common. Some migration efforts have been put in effect such as feral pigs be rounded up and removed from the birds range. Captive raising of 'Äkohekohe is currently being initiated by joint efforts of The Peregrine Fund, state of Hawai'i Department of Land and Natural Resources, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and PIERC/BRD. Future plans include release of birds where 'Äkohekohe exist in lower numbers; reproduction in captivity is being attempted but has not occurred in first year of project. Abundance of mosquitoes below 1,500 m elevation would hinder reintroduction of 'Äkohekohe into native habitats on Maui and Moloka'i where they once existed. There is an estimated 3,800 Mature individuals with a declining population trend.
Rendered without postwork in Firefly.
Comments (8)
Thalek
It's interesting how many onomatopoeia (had to look up the spelling) names there are for various critters. From what my wife, an anthropologist tells me, Chicago and Cajalco (in Southern California) are both named for the calls made by quail. I can't remember the original Luiseno word for Cajalco, but it was a minor add-on to Cajalco, and it translated to Quail Place, Cajalco being the name for quail if I'm remembering correctly.
The crest is interesting: in this rendering, it almost looks like he's holding a feather in his beak, rather than a crest upon his head.
3DClassics123456
Ken, your birds are amazing and your information very interesting. Once again : hat off!
mininessie
amazing beautiful!
STEVIEUKWONDER
Gorgeous rich autumn colouring and beautiful specimens to compliment the scene!
mifdesign
Gorgeous, adorable, beautiful bird. Fabulous awesome photo, great camera DOF. A top-notch camera I assume, even I see no camera specs, it's still mesmerizing.
Ken _Gilliland
I'm flattered now ;) The image you are looking at are my 3D models... yup, its a digital render
mtdana
Splendid environment and beautiful colors!!!
miwi
Very beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Flint_Hawk
These birds look so magical! Fabulous work Ken!