Sounds and Vocal Behavior

Development

No information.

Vocal Array

Kaua‘i ‘Ö‘ö. Vocalizations published by H. D. Pratt (Pratt 1996 Pratt, H. D. (1996). Voices of Hawaii's birds: an audio companion to Hawaii's birds. Ithaca, NY: Hawaii Audubon Soc., Honolulu, and Library of Natural Sounds, Cornell Lab. Ornithol. Close ) from recordings by Thane K. Pratt (LNS 56465), Robert J. Shallenberger (LNS 06031), and C. Fred Zeillemaker (LNS 62430) archived at Library of Natural Sounds (LNS), Laboratory of Ornithology, Cornell University (A. L. Priori pers. comm.). Recordings by John L. Sincock have not been located and may be lost. Vocalizations characterized as melodious, loud, clear, flutelike, liquid-sounding, bell-like, and resembling those of other ‘ö‘ö, but much more complex (Wilson and Evans 1890 Wilson, S. B. and A. H. Evans. (1890). Aves Hawaiienses: the birds of the Sandwich Islands. London: R. H. Porter. Close , Perkins 1903 Perkins, R. C. L. (1903). Fauna Hawaiiensis, Volume I, Part IV: Vertebrata (D. Sharp, Editor). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom. Close , Conant et al. 1998 Conant, S., H. D. Pratt and R. J. Shallenberger. (1998). Reflections on a 1975 expedition to the lost world of the Alaka'i and other notes on the natural history, systematics, and conservation of Kaua'i birds. Wilson Bulletin 110 (1):1-22. Close , J. L. Sincock unpubl., PWS). Calls variable, typically low, mellow whistles (Richardson and Bowles 1964 Richardson, F. and J. Bowles. (1964). A survey of the birds of Kauai, Hawaii. Honolulu: B. P. Bishop Mus. Bull. 227. Close ). This species responded readily to imitations of its calls (Richardson and Bowles 1964 Richardson, F. and J. Bowles. (1964). A survey of the birds of Kauai, Hawaii. Honolulu: B. P. Bishop Mus. Bull. 227. Close , J. L. Sincock unpubl.). Considered among finest singers of native Hawaiian birds (Munro 1944a Munro, G. C. (1944a). Birds of Hawai'i. Honolulu: Tong Publ. Co. Close ). See Figure 3 for examples of long complex song series.

At least 2 complex song series (Pratt 1996 Pratt, H. D. (1996). Voices of Hawaii's birds: an audio companion to Hawaii's birds. Ithaca, NY: Hawaii Audubon Soc., Honolulu, and Library of Natural Sounds, Cornell Lab. Ornithol. Close ), consisting of loud melodious whistles reminiscent of Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta); tone distinctly meliphagine, with haunting echo quality (Conant et al. 1998 Conant, S., H. D. Pratt and R. J. Shallenberger. (1998). Reflections on a 1975 expedition to the lost world of the Alaka'i and other notes on the natural history, systematics, and conservation of Kaua'i birds. Wilson Bulletin 110 (1):1-22. Close ). Song includes 2-note phrases that probably resemble the oh-oh from which bird's name is derived (Conant et al. 1998 Conant, S., H. D. Pratt and R. J. Shallenberger. (1998). Reflections on a 1975 expedition to the lost world of the Alaka'i and other notes on the natural history, systematics, and conservation of Kaua'i birds. Wilson Bulletin 110 (1):1-22. Close ). Pairs frequently duet, but female has fewer notes (Munro 1944a Munro, G. C. (1944a). Birds of Hawai'i. Honolulu: Tong Publ. Co. Close ). Call notes include distinct took-took, like that of Hawai‘i ‘Ö‘ö (see below), but sharper and higher-pitched (Munro 1944a Munro, G. C. (1944a). Birds of Hawai'i. Honolulu: Tong Publ. Co. Close ); the call most often heard, a loud whistled whip-poor-weeo, which is not too fast and descends at the end (Richardson and Bowles 1964 Richardson, F. and J. Bowles. (1964). A survey of the birds of Kauai, Hawaii. Honolulu: B. P. Bishop Mus. Bull. 227. Close ); loud ah-ö or ö-ö (Richardson and Bowles 1964 Richardson, F. and J. Bowles. (1964). A survey of the birds of Kauai, Hawaii. Honolulu: B. P. Bishop Mus. Bull. 227. Close , J. L. Sincock unpubl.); distinct repetitive squeak by female when alarmed (Perkins 1903 Perkins, R. C. L. (1903). Fauna Hawaiiensis, Volume I, Part IV: Vertebrata (D. Sharp, Editor). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom. Close ); screamlike distress call that is similar to that of a wounded Tui (Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae), a meliphagid of New Zealand (Munro 1944a Munro, G. C. (1944a). Birds of Hawai'i. Honolulu: Tong Publ. Co. Close ); double-note keet-keet alarm call (Hawaii Audubon Society 1989 Society, Hawaii Audubon. (1989). Hawaii's birds. 4th ed. Honolulu: Hawaii Audubon Society. Close ); and sharp, 2-note whistle, which can be heard in second song type presented in Pratt (Pratt 1996 Pratt, H. D. (1996). Voices of Hawaii's birds: an audio companion to Hawaii's birds. Ithaca, NY: Hawaii Audubon Soc., Honolulu, and Library of Natural Sounds, Cornell Lab. Ornithol. Close ) tape and appears to have been an alarm or alert call note (Conant et al. 1998 Conant, S., H. D. Pratt and R. J. Shallenberger. (1998). Reflections on a 1975 expedition to the lost world of the Alaka'i and other notes on the natural history, systematics, and conservation of Kaua'i birds. Wilson Bulletin 110 (1):1-22. Close ). These latter 2 calls may be the same as J. L. Sincock's (unpubl.) short, loud, mellow “ beep-beep ” or “ paw-paw ” whistles, given at 1- to 3-min intervals by both members of pair.

O‘ahu ‘Ö‘ö. Vocalizations not described from the wild. Presumably from captive birds, Andrew Bloxam described note as a harsh chirp of 2–3 different tones (Olson 1996b Olson, S. L. (1996b). The contribution of the voyage of H.M.S. Blonde (1825) to Hawaiian ornithology. Archives of Natural History 23:1-8. Close ). Nothing else known of repertoire.

Bishop's ‘Ö‘ö. Henry Palmer (in Rothschild 1893a Rothschild, L. W. (1893a). Avifauna of Laysan and the neighboring islands with a complete history to date of the birds of the Hawaiian possessions, Pt. III. London, U.K: R. H. Porter. Close –226) described vocalizations of Bishop's ‘Ö‘ö as follows: “It has a call-note not unlike that of the Hawaiian O-o (M. nobilis), but neither so loud or muffled in tone, somewhat like ‘ O-ó,' the accent being on both syllables. This call-note is not so full and loud if uttered by the female. Quite a variety of other notes were observed: a kind of a chuckling note, heard but once, and a high clear flute-like whistle as if the bird was trying to sing. Another note is somewhat like a cat's cry, I should say like ‘ wháo .' Another time again sounds were frequently repeated which sounded to me like ‘ Ponk,' finishing with the cat-like ‘ wháo .'”

Perkins's (Perkins 1903 Perkins, R. C. L. (1903). Fauna Hawaiiensis, Volume I, Part IV: Vertebrata (D. Sharp, Editor). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom. Close : 443) rendering of vocalizations is as follows: “The cry of the Oo is unlike that of any other native bird, and no one who has once heard and identified it can ever again be in doubt as to the bird that utters it. This cry is usually dissyllabic [sic], as represented by the bird's name, but sometimes may be represented by only a single sound. It varies somewhat, especially in loudness and clearness, according to the season, and is either uttered once or repeated. Thus at certain seasons the usual cry of the Moloka‘i bird at its fullest was well represented by five syllables, ‘owów, owów, -ów,' the first and the second, as likewise the third and fourth, are practically continuous, with the stress on the latter in each case; there is a slight pause between the first and second pair of syllables and generally a longer and distinct one between the latter of these and the final one, which is extremely loud and might at times be almost termed a shriek.”

Hawai‘i ‘Ö‘ö. Peale (Peale 1848 Peale, T. R. (1848). Mammalia and ornithology: U.S. Exploring Expedition, 1838-1842. Vol. 8. Philadelphia, PA: Sherman. Close ) said that in voice and manner this species bears some resemblance to Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula). Wilson (Wilson 1890a Wilson, S. (1890a). On some of the birds of the Sandwich Islands. Ibis 2:170-196. Close : 180) described call as “somewhat harsh and resembles the sound of the letter O, repeated twice; with a well-marked pause between.” Perkins (Perkins 1893b Perkins, R. C. L. (1893b). Notes on collecting in Kona, Hawaii. Ibis ser. 6 5 (1):101-112. Close ) described call as more like “ ow-ow ” than “ oo ”; Munro (Munro 1944a Munro, G. C. (1944a). Birds of Hawai'i. Honolulu: Tong Publ. Co. Close ) described call as deep “ took took,” while Henshaw (Henshaw 1902a Henshaw, H. W. (1902a). Birds of the Hawaiian Islands being a complete list of the birds of the Hawaiian possessions with notes on their habits. Honolulu, HI: Thomas G. Thrum. Close ) interpreted call as “ chook chook .” Another note was a loud chuck, repeated 2–3 times (Wilson and Evans 1890 Wilson, S. B. and A. H. Evans. (1890). Aves Hawaiienses: the birds of the Sandwich Islands. London: R. H. Porter. Close ). Henshaw (Henshaw 1902a Henshaw, H. W. (1902a). Birds of the Hawaiian Islands being a complete list of the birds of the Hawaiian possessions with notes on their habits. Honolulu, HI: Thomas G. Thrum. Close ) stated that neither these syllables nor any others truly capture sounds made by this species or represent its peculiar rhythm with its ventriloquial quality. Calls are audible at great distance; may be heard up to about 800 m away (Perkins 1903 Perkins, R. C. L. (1903). Fauna Hawaiiensis, Volume I, Part IV: Vertebrata (D. Sharp, Editor). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom. Close ). Hawai‘i ‘Ö‘ö readily responded to imitations of its calls (Perkins 1893b Perkins, R. C. L. (1893b). Notes on collecting in Kona, Hawaii. Ibis ser. 6 5 (1):101-112. Close , Henshaw 1902a Henshaw, H. W. (1902a). Birds of the Hawaiian Islands being a complete list of the birds of the Hawaiian possessions with notes on their habits. Honolulu, HI: Thomas G. Thrum. Close ). Song repertoire of this species not described. Song said to be distinctive, but not loud like calls, singing taking place infrequently (Perkins 1903 Perkins, R. C. L. (1903). Fauna Hawaiiensis, Volume I, Part IV: Vertebrata (D. Sharp, Editor). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom. Close ). From Palmer's notes, Rothschild (Rothschild 1893a Rothschild, L. W. (1893a). Avifauna of Laysan and the neighboring islands with a complete history to date of the birds of the Hawaiian possessions, Pt. III. London, U.K: R. H. Porter. Close ) described song as short, with little melody, consisting of a squeaking noise and a few other notes, which are seldom heard. According to Munro (Munro 1944a Munro, G. C. (1944a). Birds of Hawai'i. Honolulu: Tong Publ. Co. Close ), both sexes have brief song, not as loud, vigorous, or pleasing to the ear as song of Kaua‘i ‘Ö‘ö.

Kioea. Peale (Peale 1848 Peale, T. R. (1848). Mammalia and ornithology: U.S. Exploring Expedition, 1838-1842. Vol. 8. Philadelphia, PA: Sherman. Close : 148) stated, “disposed to be musical”; song presumed to be loud; Wilson and Evans (Wilson and Evans 1890 Wilson, S. B. and A. H. Evans. (1890). Aves Hawaiienses: the birds of the Sandwich Islands. London: R. H. Porter. Close ) quoting from Cassin (Cassin 1858b Cassin, J. (1858b). United States Exploring Expedition during the years 1838, 1839, 1840, 1841, 1842. Under the command of Charles Wilkes, U.S.N. Mammalogy and ornithology. Philadelphia, PA: J. B. Lippincott and Co. Close ), stated, “Dr. Pickering [with Peale on U.S. Exploring Expedition] mentions having seen this species ‘alight in the tops of the trees and uttering a loud CHUCK .'” Nothing further known of vocalizations.

Phenology

Kaua‘i ‘Ö‘ö. Gave calls throughout year (Hancock 1966 Hancock, J. (1966). The honeycreepers of Hawai'i. Animals 8 (14):372-379. Close , J. L. Sincock unpubl.), but less frequently when not breeding; generally sang only during breeding activities (J. L. Sincock unpubl.).

Bishop's ‘Ö‘ö. Probably sang throughout year, but most intensely during breeding. See discussion of vocal array, above. Call sometimes audible at 1,000 m. Responded to imitations of its calls (Perkins 1903 Perkins, R. C. L. (1903). Fauna Hawaiiensis, Volume I, Part IV: Vertebrata (D. Sharp, Editor). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom. Close ).

Hawai‘i ‘Ö‘ö. Gave calls throughout year; probably sang only during breeding season. According to Perkins (Perkins 1903 Perkins, R. C. L. (1903). Fauna Hawaiiensis, Volume I, Part IV: Vertebrata (D. Sharp, Editor). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom. Close ), called incessantly when gathered in large numbers to feed at flowering patches and during brief flights between patches.

Daily Pattern

Kaua‘i ‘Ö‘ö. Sang primarily in early morning and early evening (Perkins 1903 Perkins, R. C. L. (1903). Fauna Hawaiiensis, Volume I, Part IV: Vertebrata (D. Sharp, Editor). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom. Close ). Wilson and Evans (Wilson and Evans 1890 Wilson, S. B. and A. H. Evans. (1890). Aves Hawaiienses: the birds of the Sandwich Islands. London: R. H. Porter. Close ) referred to singing in early morning. Rothschild (Rothschild 1893a Rothschild, L. W. (1893a). Avifauna of Laysan and the neighboring islands with a complete history to date of the birds of the Hawaiian possessions, Pt. III. London, U.K: R. H. Porter. Close : [Di.] 20), quoting from Henry Palmer's diary, Kaua‘i I., 16 Jun 1893, stated, “Everywhere here the trees appear to be alive with birds. The noise of their various songs was quite deafening this afternoon. The ‘boom' of the ‘o‘o (Moho braccata) and the powerful song of the ‘Kamao' (Phaeornis myiadestina, Stejn.) were noticeable above the others.” It is not clear whether this passage refers to songs or calls, or to both. J. L. Sincock (unpubl.) reported that vocalizations during breeding season started about 06:00 and ceased around 19:00; less frequent from 11:00 to 15:00. More active vocalizing during infrequent brief periods of 5–10 min of sunshine than long periods of cloud cover and rain. A pair observed 2–5 Oct 1974 vocalized daily between 06:00 and 07:30 and again at about 18:30, whereas on 25–26 Mar, at onset of breeding, vocalized about every 20 min from 06:00 to 07:30, then every 40 min until 10:30. In early Jul 1975, Conant et al. (Conant et al. 1998 Conant, S., H. D. Pratt and R. J. Shallenberger. (1998). Reflections on a 1975 expedition to the lost world of the Alaka'i and other notes on the natural history, systematics, and conservation of Kaua'i birds. Wilson Bulletin 110 (1):1-22. Close ) reported singing at 10- to 20-min intervals until about 10:30, after which song activity was less frequent. Duetting was frequent throughout day (Conant et al. 1998 Conant, S., H. D. Pratt and R. J. Shallenberger. (1998). Reflections on a 1975 expedition to the lost world of the Alaka'i and other notes on the natural history, systematics, and conservation of Kaua'i birds. Wilson Bulletin 110 (1):1-22. Close ).

Hawai‘i ‘Ö‘ö. In good weather, mostly silent during heat of day, but during wet or foggy weather, vocal throughout day (Perkins 1903 Perkins, R. C. L. (1903). Fauna Hawaiiensis, Volume I, Part IV: Vertebrata (D. Sharp, Editor). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom. Close ).

Places Of Vocalizing

Kaua‘i ‘Ö‘ö. Probably called from perches anywhere within forest strata and sang at nest site and elsewhere in breeding territory. Mated pairs frequently perched in uppermost dead bare branches of ‘öhi‘a, sitting side by side vocalizing (J. L. Sincock unpubl.).

Hawai‘i ‘Ö‘ö. Apparently gave calls throughout forest strata and sometimes in flight, but gave song from denser part of forest strata (Perkins 1903 Perkins, R. C. L. (1903). Fauna Hawaiiensis, Volume I, Part IV: Vertebrata (D. Sharp, Editor). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom. Close ).

Repertoire And Delivery Of Songs

No information.

Social Context And Presumed Functions

Kaua‘i ‘Ö‘ö. Little known. See discussion of vocal array, above.

Hawai‘i ‘Ö‘ö. Little known. At top of dominance hierarchy of nectarivores on Hawai‘i I.; used its call notes and other behaviors in threat displays to defend flower patches rich in nectar against other species, ‘I‘iwi in particular (Perkins 1903 Perkins, R. C. L. (1903). Fauna Hawaiiensis, Volume I, Part IV: Vertebrata (D. Sharp, Editor). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom. Close ). During nonbreeding period, while foraging in pairs or small flocks, gave call notes incessantly (Henshaw 1902a Henshaw, H. W. (1902a). Birds of the Hawaiian Islands being a complete list of the birds of the Hawaiian possessions with notes on their habits. Honolulu, HI: Thomas G. Thrum. Close , Perkins 1903 Perkins, R. C. L. (1903). Fauna Hawaiiensis, Volume I, Part IV: Vertebrata (D. Sharp, Editor). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom. Close ), apparently communicating among family members and/or conspecifics.

Kaua‘i ‘Ö‘ö. Wings make noisy flapping sound in flight (Hart 1976 Hart, A. (1976). Field notes from Kaua'i, May 26-June 2, 1976, Part I. 'Elepaio 37:28-30. Close , J. L. Sincock unpubl.).

Hawai‘i ‘Ö‘ö. Wings make continuous buzzing sound in flight (Munro 1944a Munro, G. C. (1944a). Birds of Hawai'i. Honolulu: Tong Publ. Co. Close ).