dougdimmadodo:ʻIo (Buteo solitarius)Family: Accipitridae (Hawk Family)IUCN Conservation Status: Ne
dougdimmadodo: ʻIo (Buteo solitarius)Family: Accipitridae (Hawk Family)IUCN Conservation Status: Near Threatened —————————————————————————— Also known as the Hawaiian Hawk, the ʻIo is one of only two birds-of-prey native to the Hawaii (the other being the Pueo, a subspecies of short-eared owl.) Although it is thought to have once been widespread across the entire Hawaiian archipelago, it is now found only on Hawaiʻi (the archipelago’s largest island), where it primarily inhabits forests and grasslands, often near volcanoes. Most hawk species specialize in preying on small mammals, but as there a very few non-aquatic mammals native to Hawaiʻi the ʻIo instead specializes in feeding on smaller birds and insects (although as the introduction of invasive animals has caused the decline or extinction of many of its preferred prey species it has also been known to hunt certain introduced animals such as rats and lizards.) Although typically solitary and highly territorial, ʻIo that have found a mate typically stay together for their entire lives and work together to establish and defend a shared territory. The ʻIo mating season lasts from March to September, with couples typically only nesting in the branches of the 'Ohi'a Lehua (a large, evergreen, flower-producing tree that often grows in sites recently cleared of other plants following lava flows) and producing a single egg which is incubated by its mother for around 38 days, after which it is fed for a further 7-8 weeks before fledging. The ʻIo is threatened due to a wide range of factors including declines in the populations of their prey due to competition with invasive species, attacks on nests by introduced mammals such as brown rat and domestic cat, declines in 'Ohi'a Lehua populations, habitat loss and poaching. That being said, the IUCN believes that the ʻIo populations on Hawaiʻi are now stable, and there are hopes that breeding programs and the management of invasive species may eventually allow this species to reclaim its former range on other major islands.Extra fun fact - ʻIolani Palace, the palace that housed the Hawaiian royal family until 1893, is named after the ʻIo.——————————————————————————Image source: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/5185-Buteo-solitarius -- source link