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
Hawaiian tropical dry forests Hawaiian tropical dry forests The Hawaiian tropical dry forests are a tropical dry broadleaf forest ecoregion in the Hawaiian Islands. They cover an area of on the leeward side of the main islands and the summits of Niihau and Kahoolawe. These forests are either seasonal or sclerophyllous. Annual rainfall is less than and may be as low as ; the rainy season lasts from November to March. Dominant tree species include koa ("Acacia koa"), koaia ("A. koaia"), akoko ("Euphorbia" spp.), ōhia lehua ("Metrosideros polymorpha"), lonomea ("Sapindus oahuensis"), māmane ("Sophora chrysophylla"), loulu ("Pritchardia" spp.), lama ("Diospyros sandwicensis"), olopua ("Nestegis sandwicensis"), wiliwili