Adult L. lutea are approximately 15 cm long, bill to tail, have olive-grey plumage on the crown, nape and back, with grey on the face around the eyes. The tail is black and deeply forked. The throat is a bright yellow transitioning to a darker yellow-orange towards the breast and the belly is dull yellow-grey. The bill is red and the base of the primaries is red. Otherwise the primaries are dark olive or black and the outer edges are bright yellow. Juveniles have duller wing patches and a black bill that may be redder towards the tip. Both sexes are very similar in appearance making them difficult to differentiate in the field. It has been suggested that the bright wing patches may be used for inter-specific communication in their dark habitats (Kawano et al., 2000).
Related crop
- Olea europaea
Related invasive species
- Yellows
Related Farm Practice
- Invasive species
- Hosts
L. lutea changes habitats and has an effect on many native species (Woodward and Quinn, 2011). In the Hawaiian Islands, endemic bird species have become extinct partially due to avian malaria. As a known reservoir for this disease, L. lutea may have contributed to these extinctions (Global Invasive Species Database, 2008). L. lutea is being monitored on the Hawaiian Islands of Maui and Hawaii as a competitor and potential disease reservoir (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2006).