When I hear an animal or bird has gone extinct I’m sad, but in a distant way. Have I ever seen or heard of this species? Am I sad just on principal?
I’ve never cried over it. More often I’m angry about it.
Until I found this bird species’ last song.
This is the Kauai O’o, and you can find the wiki here. The last known bird, the male recorded by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology died in 1987.
The last known bird, a male, singing his courtship song with pauses for a female to sing back… who never does.
They bonded for life.
The song is haunting, and I flat out bawled listening to it.
And not just this species died. The whole genus is extinct.
Here’s an interview with who they think was the last person to see one alive.
All I can hope is that they’re sneaky little birds and that there are more hidden in the mountains.
