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| Software: Poser5 with Painter8 post |
| Model Credits: Palila from "Threatened, Endangered & Extinct" Songbird ReMix (DAZ) |
| Comments: The Palila lives the
big Island of Hawaii. It nests and eats the seeds of the Mamane tree which
is found on the dormant volcano, Mauna Kea, above the 6,000 foot line. The
Palila is the largest of the Hawaiian honeycreepers and is probably the
most studied. Although the Palila has been known to eat some insects and
naio berries, it’s primary diet comes from the Mamane tree. It eats seeds
from it’s green pods, the flower petals and even the young leaves. The
population numbers for the Palila are in direct proportion with the
success of the Mamane’s blooming season.
It is endangered because it’s main source of food, the Mamane tree is also threatened. Cattle from nearby ranches trample the root systems of the trees and thereby, killing them. Encroaching development also plays a role. In the mid-90’s the remaining Palila population was moved to the base of Mauna Kea where a 100 acre grove of Mamane trees still remained and was fenced off from cattle grazing. Unfortunately, the entire area is surrounded by invasive weeds and extremely flammable fountain grass. One wildfire could bring this bird to extinction. Recently, numerous cigarettes butts were found scattered in the brush. |