History of endemic Hawaiian birds: specimens in museum collections

Abstract

Delineation of historic ranges of depopulated endemic Hawaiian birds required information inscribed on labels of museum specimens. More than 40 institutions were solicited by mail from 1966 t o 1956 for original collection data of 69 taxa. Data transcribed from 3820 specimens of extinct or endangered forms, and 1863 specimens of non-threatened species was reconstituted for purposes of documentation. Specimen accounts include currently recognized scientific, vernacular, and Hawaiian names of each species and subspecies; information on original descriptions; total number of examples extant and labels abstracted; date, locality, and name of collector; disposition of 7261 specimens (including 1638 of non-threatened taxa having unabstracted data) in each of 37 museums world-wide. Hawaiian place-names and elevations of principal collecting localities are listed and shown on maps of the six major forested Hawaiian Islands.