Kingdom Animalia Class Aves Infraclass Neognathae Rank Species | Phylum Chordata Subclass Neornithes Superorder Neoaves | |
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Similar ‘Elepaio, O'ahu ʻelepaio, Hawaiʻi ʻelepaio, Kauaʻi ʻamakihi, ʻAnianiau | ||
The Kauaʻi ʻelepaio (Chasiempis sclateri) is a monarch flycatcher found on the Hawaiian Island of Kauai. It numbered 40,000 around 1970, but declined by half in the 1990s. Whether this fluctuation is natural and thus the birds' numbers will rebound or whether it signifies a novel threat remains to be seen.
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Taxonomy and Systematics
The Kauaʻi ʻelepaio was formerly considered as a subspecies of the Hawaii ʻelepaio (Chasiempis sandwichensis sclateri) until reclassified as a separate species in 2010.
Description
This is the most distinct ʻelepaio; adult birds have their head and back gray, with a white supercilium, a rusty-red breast and a white underside. Young birds are uniformly rusty above and white below. Wings and tail are alike in all subspecies, but the young individuals of sclateri have the white stippling of the wings replaced by rusty coloration too.