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Moho is a genus of extinct birds in the Hawaiian bird family, Mohoidae, that were endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. Members of the genus are known as ōō in the Hawaiian language. Their plumage was generally striking glossy black; some species had yellowish axillary tufts and other black outer feathers. Most of these species became extinct by habitat loss, the introduction of mammalian predators (like rats, pigs, and mongooses), and by extensive hunting (their plumage was used for the creation of precious aahu alii (robes) and ahu ula (capes) for alii (Hawaiian nobility). The Kauai ōō was the last species of this genus to become extinct, likely a victim of avian malaria.
Until recently, the birds in this genus were thought to belong to the family Meliphagidae (honeyeaters) because they looked and acted so similar to members of that family, including many morphological details. A 2008 study argued, on the basis of a phylogenetic analysis of DNA from museum specimens, that the genera Moho and Chaetoptila do not belong to the Meliphagidae but instead belong to a group that includes the waxwings and the palmchat; they appear especially close to the silky-flycatchers. The authors proposed a family, Mohoidae, for these two extinct genera.
The album O'o by jazz composer John Zorn, released in 2009, is named after these birds.
Taxonomy The following species belong to this genus (in addition, subfossil remains of a species are known from Maui and known in literature as the Maui ʻōʻō, Moho sp.):
Image Common name Scientific name Extinct since Localization Oahu ōō Moho apicalis c. 1837 Oahu, Hawaii Bishop's ōōor Molokaʻi ōō Moho bishopi c. 1981 Molokai, Maui, and Lanai, Hawaii Kauai ōō Moho braccatus c. 1987 Kauai, Hawaii Hawaii ōō Moho nobilis c. 1934 Hawaii, Hawaii
References
Bibliography Day, David (1981): The Doomsday Book of Animals Greenway, James C. (1967): Extinct and Vanishing Birds of the World
External links Short description of the Moho species (French)
Naturalis - Hawaii Ōō