Bird Album
Mao
Gymnomyza samoensis (Hombron & Jacquinot, 1841)
28–31 cmLength99 gWeight
The mao or maʻomaʻo (Gymnomyza samoensis) is a passerine bird belonging to the genus Gymnomyza in the honeyeater family Meliphagidae.
Busiest months: August · Most records: Samoa
Where and when it's recorded
Busiest months: August · Most records: Samoa
Mao has been recorded at 9 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 1 country or region.
Records by month Southern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Malolo'lelei Watershed ReserveSamoa84 records
- Dave Parker's Eco LodgeSamoa26 records
- Vaisagno WatertankSamoa10 records
More places
- A'opo Cloud Forest Conservation AreaSamoa8 records
- Apia – Mt. Vaea & Robert Louis Stevenson MuseumSamoa4 records
- Upolu – Lake Lanoto'oSamoa3 records
- ApiaSamoa2 records
- O le Pupu Pue NPSamoa1 record
- Pupu-Pue NP – Coastal WalkSamoa1 record
Countries and regions with the most records
eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.
About
The mao or maʻomaʻo (Gymnomyza samoensis) is a passerine bird belonging to the genus Gymnomyza in the honeyeater family Meliphagidae. It is an endangered species and is endemic to the Samoan Islands.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Mao?
The Mao is about 28–31 cm long and weighs around 99 g.
Where does the Mao live?
Its breeding range: Pacific Ocean: Savaii and Upolu (western Samoa, central Polynesia). It is most often recorded in Samoa.
When is the best time to see the Mao?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in August (Southern Hemisphere).
Is the Mao endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Mao as Endangered.
What does the Mao eat?
Main food: Omnivore.
What family is the Mao in?
It belongs to the family Honeyeaters (Meliphagidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).
At a glance
- Length
- 28–31 cm
- Weight
- 99 g
- Habitat
- Forest
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Lifestyle
- Perches in trees
- Migration
- Resident (barely migrates)
- Conservation
- Endangered
More measurements
- Wing
- 136 mm
- Tail
- 131 mm
- Bill
- 42 mm
- Tarsus
- 39 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
Pacific Ocean: Savaii and Upolu (western Samoa, central Polynesia)
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Passerines Passeriformes
- Family
- Honeyeaters Meliphagidae
- Genus
- Gymnomyza
Other birds in the genus Gymnomyza
Yellow-billed Giant HoneyeaterGymnomyza viridis
Duetting Giant HoneyeaterGymnomyza brunneirostris
Crow HoneyeaterGymnomyza aubryana
Dark-eared MyzaMyza celebensis
White-eared MyzaMyza sarasinorum
Eastern SpinebillAcanthorhynchus tenuirostris
Western SpinebillAcanthorhynchus superciliosus
Green-backed HoneyeaterGlycichaera fallax
Sooty HoneyeaterMelionyx fuscus
Long-bearded HoneyeaterMelionyx princeps
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by luo_qing. ↗
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