Greater koa finch below. It had a thick black bill which allowed it to break open seed pods that were found in the trees. In historical times, its range was largely confined to the Kona District of the island of Hawaii, although it was observed in the Kīlauea area in 1895. It was much more widespread prior to the arrival of humans in Hawaii, and related species lived on other islands. In Kona, it co-occurred with the closely related lesser koa finch ("Rhodocanthis flaviceps"), and the Kona grosbeak. The lesser and greater koa finches were once thought by scientists to be the minimum
Acacia sensu lato fragrant timber used for ornaments. "A. seyal" is thought to be the shittah-tree of the Bible, which supplied shittim-wood. According to the Book of Exodus, this was used in the construction of the Ark of the Covenant. "A. koa" from the Hawaiian Islands and "A. heterophylla" from Réunion are both excellent timber trees. Depending on abundance and regional culture, some "Acacia" species (e.g. "A. fumosa") are traditionally used locally as firewoods. It is also used to make homes for different animals. In Indonesia (mainly in Sumatra) and in Malaysia (mainly in Sabah), plantations of "A. mangium" are being established to