CONSERVATIONISTS could only look on as the world’s rarest bird went extinct last week.
The Hawaiian po’ouli (Melamprosops phaeosoma), a sparrow-sized honeycreeper, was discovered in 1973 on Maui. But its numbers dwindled fast as introduced rats ate the snails that were its prey. By 1997, just three birds remained.
In September this year, one was caught in hopes of starting a captive breeding programme, but on 26 November it died at the Maui Bird Conservation Center. The stress of captivity may have been a factor, but an autopsy showed old age had taken a toll on the bird’s organs, says…
