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
Acacia koaia It can be seen on ranch land in North Kohala, and at a small fenced exclosure outside of Waimea known as the "koaia" sanctuary. "Koaia" is one of the species being used to revegetate the island of Kahoolawe, which lost most of its plant life to overgrazing and ordnance testing. Native Hawaiians ground "koaia" leaves and bark with "auaukoi" ("Senna occidentalis") and "kikānia pipili" ("Desmodium sandwicense") stalks. The mixture was then hydrated and used in a steam bath to treat diseased skin. The wood of "koaia" is harder and more dense than that of "koa". It was used to make