biology

Hawaiʻi ʻamakihi

Hawaiʻi ʻamakihi is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Hawaiʻi ʻamakihi rather than just read about it. In short: The Hawaiʻi ʻamakihi (Chlorodrepanis virens), also known as the common ʻamakihi, is a species of Hawaiian honeycreeper. Taxonomy The Hawaiʻi ʻamakihi was formerly placed in the genus Hemignathus but was assigned to the genus Chlorodrepanis based on the phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences.

Key takeaways

Hawaiʻi ʻamakihi belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Hawaiʻi ʻamakihi to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Hawaiʻi ʻamakihi from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Hawaiʻi ʻamakihi (Chlorodrepanis virens), also known as the common ʻamakihi, is a species of Hawaiian honeycreeper.

Taxonomy The Hawaiʻi ʻamakihi was formerly placed in the genus Hemignathus but was assigned to the genus Chlorodrepanis based on the phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences. There are two recognized subspecies: C. v. wilsoni on Maui, Molokaʻi, and (formerly) Lānaʻi, and C. v. virens on the Big Island of Hawaiʻi.

Distribution and habitat It is found on the Big Island, Maui, and Molokaʻi in Hawaii. It formerly occurred on Lānaʻi where it was last seen in 1976. It is one of the most common honeycreepers, inhabiting all types of habitat, dry māmane forests to mesic and wet forests, on the islands at elevations from sea level to 8,000 feet (2,400 m). On Maui they have also been successful in forests of introduced pines, cypresses and firs. Of all the forest birds native to Hawaii, the Hawaiʻi ʻamakihi has been affected the least by habitat changes. It is suspected that it is evolving resistance to diseases such as avian malaria. Along with the ʻApapane, it is one of the two Hawaiian honeycreepers listed by the IUCN as being of least concern.

Description The Hawaiʻi ʻamakihi is a small bird, measuring about 10 centimetres (3.9 in) in length. It is yellow-green with a small black bill that is 1.3 centimetres (0.51 in) long and has brown eyes with black pupils.

Vocalization The primary song of the Hawaiʻi ʻamakihi is a rapid trill.

Diet The Hawaiʻi ʻamakihi has a very wide diet, and has been able to find food despite habitat alteration. It has a tubular tongue, which it uses to drink nectar from flowers such as those of the ʻōhiʻa lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha), ʻākala (Rubus hawaiensis), and māmane (Sophora chrysophylla). If necessary, it will suck juice from fruits. The Hawaiʻi ʻamakihi also hunts for spiders and insects among trees and shrubs.

Reproduction

Hawaiʻi ʻamakihi are a productive species with a long breeding season, lasting about 9 months. On the Big Island, Maui and Molokaʻi there is variation in when that breeding season starts but it may coincide with flowering of māmane in dry māmane forests. Hawaiʻi ʻamakihi nest in the canopy of trees. They often are able to have two broods within a breeding season; having two rounds of chicks enables their population to increase more rapidly than slow growing species like the endangered Kiwikiu. Chicks remain in the nest for 15-21 days before they fledge. Young Hawaiʻi ʻamakihi become independent from their parents at 2-3 months.

References

External links

Images - Monte M. Taylor Videos, photos and sounds - Internet Bird Collection

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Hawaiʻi ʻamakihi

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Hawaiʻi ʻamakihi claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Hawaiʻi ʻamakihi before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Hawaiʻi ʻamakihi ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Hawaiʻi ʻamakihi

In research: Hawaiʻi ʻamakihi appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Hawaiʻi ʻamakihi in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Hawaiʻi ʻamakihi is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Biota of Hawaii (island), Birds described in 1851, Chlorodrepanis, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Hawaiʻi ʻamakihi outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Hawaiʻi ʻamakihi in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Hawaiʻi ʻamakihi means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Hawaiʻi ʻamakihi out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Hawaiʻi ʻamakihi in simple terms?

The Hawaiʻi ʻamakihi (Chlorodrepanis virens), also known as the common ʻamakihi, is a species of Hawaiian honeycreeper. Taxonomy The Hawaiʻi ʻamakihi was formerly placed in the genus Hemignathus but was assigned to the genus Chlorodrepanis based on the phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial and nuc…

Why does Hawaiʻi ʻamakihi matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Hawaiʻi ʻamakihi?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Hawaiʻi ʻamakihi.