‘I’iwi the Hawaiian

Honeycreeper
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Who am I?
I am a ‘I’iwi Hawaiian Honeycreeper. Evolutionary biologist consider me the best example of
adaptive radiation which is when a species gets isolated in an island and adapt into many
different subspecies due to environmental pressures.  I love to fly. I usually small insects, birds,
fruits, ect.  My extra long beak has made it very easy to collect nectar thanks to adaptive
radiation. 
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My ancestry
Based on genetic data it appears that my earliest ancestor is the Eurasian Rosefinch from Asia.
Some of my oldest ancestors look completely different. This is because of Adaptive Radiation.
           
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Population of my Species

My ancestors adapted over the years in order to find better food. One of the many adaptations is the
beak shape. Over time, our beaks have gotten longer so that we can get nectar more effectively.
Some of my cousins have different beaks for probing bugs, and crushing seeds.

My species is considered to be an endangered species. This is due to a combination of things. First

human development has lead to the decline in native forests. Also a lot of feral pigs on the island
have contributed to the loss of habitat because they dig up native plants that allow for mosquitos to
breed. These mosquitos have avian malaria which is resulting in a lot of my family members getting
sick.

Hopefully listing us in the endanger species list will change our environment once again so that we
can recovery our population loss and thrive once again.

References
Complete evolutionary tree of the Hawaiian honeycreepers traced by SMITHSONIAN scientists,
collaborators. (2016, March 21). Retrieved March 05, 2021, from
https://insider.si.edu/2011/10/smithsonian-scientists-collaborators-determine-the-evolutionary-f
amily-tree-for-the-hawaiian-honeycreepers/

GrrlScientist. (2011, November 02). Hawaiian honeycreepers and Their TANGLED evolutionary tree.
Retrieved March 05, 2021, from
https://www.theguardian.com/science/punctuated-equilibrium/2011/nov/02/hawaiian-honeycree
pers-tangled-evolutionary-tree

Heber, E., Author Details Author Details Emily Heber Communications Manager Island Conservation
Emily is a recent graduate from U, & Details, A. (2017, September 21). Scarlet honeycreeper
Recieves endangered Species Listing. Retrieved March 05, 2021, from
https://www.islandconservation.org/iiwi-honeycreeper-recieves-endangered-species-listing/