Greater koa finch and maximum growth of a single species of koa finch. The greater koa finch was a granivore, preferring the pods and seeds of koa ("Acacia koa"). It was also observed eating caterpillars and aalii ("Dodonaea viscosa") seeds. The last confirmed sighting was in 1896, although there were sporadic later reports. Like its close relative the lesser koa finch, this bird lived in small stretches of mesic forest on the Big Island of Hawaii. These forests were dominated by its preferred food source, koa ("Acacia koa"), and were logged and replaced with pasture beginning in 1850. Grazing by cattle inhibited the
Association Island boy's summer camp on the island for several years until abandoning it after 1967. A non-profit group ran sailing and wind boarding competitions on the island in the 1970s. The US sailing team was based there while preparing for the 1976 Montreal Olympics, which held sailing competitions at Kingston, Ontario, about to the north. The island became a privately owned RV park and resort in 1999. The RV park operates as "Association Island KOA 1000 Islands" with address 15530 Snowshoe Rd. Henderson, NY 13650. It is an independently owned KOA franchise. Kurt Vonnegut based some of the material in his