By Tannia Ramírez Medina, U. de Chile, ESMOI
The Manu Puhi is one of the Easter Island birds you will hear first each morning: the diuca finch, an introduced species now found all over Rapa Nui. Getting to Rapa Nui today involves 5 hours of flying at almost 1000 kilometers (600 miles) per hour. Have you ever wondered, how then did the little creatures which inhabit Rapa Nui get there? How could the Manu Puhi, that little gray bird which sings for its people? Have you realized that you share this space with them every day? This little bird is the diuca finch, known on the Island as the whistling bird.
Rapa Nui wildlife: isolation and introduced species
As a result of its extreme isolation, the animal life of Rapa Nui has little diversity, unlike most of the other Polynesian islands. By natural processes of migration, some species of marine birds, marine mammals and the small insects, like the dragonfly of the species Pantala flavescens (locally called Pepeka) arrived.
In the past it was possible to find a larger variety of flora and fauna, which for different reasons have become extinct. This extinction mainly affected terrestrial birds, like parrots, owls, red robins and quail which are unable to fly for great distances.
Today there are no native terrestrial birds on Rapa Nui. Even the Manutara (sooty tern), an emblematic species of Rapa Nui for its association with the cult of Tangata-Manu (Bird Man) at Orongo, no longer nests on the Island. The birds which we find today have been introduced. Among them are the swallow, the partridge, the falcon and the diuca finch. All were brought from continental Chile between the years of 1888 and 1928 by settlers, for consumption and as decorative birds.
The whistling bird of Rapa Nui
Among the introduced species, the diuca finch is the easiest of the Easter Island birds to find across the island. According to scientific notes from 1928, the presence of the first diuca finch was registered on Rapa Nui, introduced as a decorative bird probably by missionaries from Valparaiso. Today it is found all over the Island and is the most abundant introduced species. How can you recognize it? It is a small gray bird with a white neck and breast. It eats seeds and during the morning it is the first to sing, which is why it is called the whistling bird, Manu Puhi in the Rapanui language.
Sometimes you can find individuals with albinism, which in birds is called leucism; this means that it has partially or totally white plumage in the area of the head and neck, due to the absence of melanin, the pigment which gives color and protection to organs, skin, hair, feathers and the iris of the eye.
What ESMOI is studying in the Rapa Nui diuca finch
As part of a program for Master of Biological Sciences of the University of Chile, in an alliance with the Millennium Nucleus for Ecology and Sustainable Management of Oceanic Islands, ESMOI, we have concentrated our study in the Manu Puhi, considering all the aspects mentioned and noting that there are some differences, both in coloring and in size, from the diuca finch on the continent. The objective of this study is to determine the differences in morphology and genetics in the population of diuca finch which has established on the Island, considering that these birds are isolated, geographically and reproductively, from their point of origin on the continent.
This isolation could lead to genetic differentiation between the two groups. To carry out the study, we’ve had to do field research on the Island. Registries have been made of morphological characteristics, such as length of wing and of tail and form of face, among several aspects. Blood samples were drawn for later genetic analysis in the laboratories of Ecology and Genetics of the University of Chile.
For now, the preliminary results show differences between the populations in some morphological aspects. The diuca finches of Rapa Nui have longer wings and the beak is smaller than the diuca finch of the continent. Genetic results, based on analysis of DNA, also show distinct patterns. Although we can’t be sure that the diuca finch present on Rapa Nui is totally different from that in continental Chile, we are sure that the individuals on Rapa Nui are passing through a process of isolation. These studies are very important to protect the flora and fauna of Rapa Nui, which is, in many cases, distinct from that which we find in continental Chile.
Keep reading: sea birds of Rapa Nui, how invasive species are killing off native marine birds and endemic arthropods of Rapa Nui.
Frequently asked questions about Easter Island birds
What are the Easter Island birds you can see today?
There are no native terrestrial birds on Rapa Nui. The birds found today have been introduced, among them the swallow, the partridge, the falcon and the diuca finch, all brought from continental Chile between 1888 and 1928.
Which bird sings first in the morning on Rapa Nui?
The diuca finch, known on the Island as the whistling bird or Manu Puhi in the Rapanui language. It is the first to sing during the morning.
How do you recognize the diuca finch on Easter Island?
It is a small gray bird with a white neck and breast that eats seeds. Some individuals show leucism, with partially or totally white plumage in the area of the head and neck.
Is the Manu Puhi the same as the Manutara?
No. The Manu Puhi is the diuca finch, an introduced bird. The Manutara is the sooty tern, an emblematic species of Rapa Nui for the cult of Tangata-Manu (Bird Man) at Orongo, and it no longer nests on the Island.
When did the diuca finch arrive on Rapa Nui?
According to scientific notes, the first diuca finches were registered in 1928. It was introduced as a decorative bird, probably by missionaries from Valparaiso, and today it is the most abundant introduced species.
What does the ESMOI study say about the Rapa Nui diuca finch?
The study looks for morphological and genetic differences between the island population and the one in continental Chile. Preliminary results show longer wings, a smaller beak and distinct genetic patterns, and the Rapa Nui birds are passing through a process of isolation.
