As a volcanic island chain, Hawaii is not known for it’s ancient fossil fauna, but it has a selection of modern extinct species. The ‘O’ o (or Moho, based on the scientific name) were a group of birds that were native to Hawaii, now all extinct, the last being recent enough to have recordings of it’s mating call (worth hearing, though prepare to be moved to tears).
Classification: Birds
Dodo (Yowies Forgotten Friends Series A by Cadbury)
2 (3 votes)
The Dodo has quite the reputation among extinct animals, but the image has always been a bit skewed. Most portarits are based either on third or fourth hand accounts, and most European depictions are from obese specimens kept by gentry that didn’t know how to care for them properly. Modern skeletal analysis now shows it was sleek, brown and quite aggressive.
Dodo, pair (Noah’s Pals by Caboodle! Toys LLC)
3 (2 votes)
If something is “as dead as a Dodo”, it is very dead, gone forever, reflecting on the fate of said animal, the Dodo. From the island of Mauritius, these flightless pigeons roamed the land, eating fruit and shellfish and lacking fear. Then man came along and introduced new predators, ones that Dodo’s lacked, and soon they were gone from their native lands, never to return.
Great Auk (Yowies Forgotten Friends Series A by Cadbury)
4 (2 votes)
The tragedy of the Great Auk is a tale that covers much of the globe. These sea birds lived across the Atlantic, catching fish and having large flocks across islands throughout the Atlantic. They were killed for down in pillows, the bills for Native American charms and for fuel and food for sailors.
Wedge-tailed Eagle with Brown Snake (Southlands Replicas)
4.7 (3 votes)
Review and images by Lanthanotus; edited by bmathison1972
Glaring sun scorches the land as a venomous death silently slides towards its den beneath the sparse shade of the burned grass. Suddenly night falls and accompanied by a hot but soft wind, eight fiercely piercing blades start to cut all life from its automatically wildly curling body.
Upland Moa (Yowies Forgotten Friends Series B by Cadbury)
4 (2 votes)
When most people think of the Moa, it is likely they will only think about the giants of these birds, specifically the South Island Giant Moa. The reality is, however, that there were many Moa species across New Zealand, filling niches that in other parts of the world are filled by mammals.
Rainbow Lorikeet (Wings of the World by Safari Ltd.)
4.8 (5 votes)
Here is a walk-around of the small Safari Ltd Wings of the World 2016 rainbow lorikeet, Trichoglossus moluccanus (Gmelin, 1788); item No. 150229. Total length is approx. 74 mm (if the head and neck would be fully stretched out) so the scale is approx. 1:4. This popular parrot species from eastern Australia has a specialised tongue with elongated papillae (Trichoglossus means “hairy tongue”) which are needed for their mostly liquid or pulpous diet (fruit pulp, nectar, and pollen).
Flamingo (AAA)
4 (4 votes)
Across the globe, there are many amazing bird species. One of the few groups of vertebrates to develop powered flight, they now fill the skies with song and colour. Some are more colourful than others, with this review’s subject being a great example, the flamingo, a bird seen in America, Africa, Asia and Europe.
Shoebill (Wildlife by CollectA)
4.2 (5 votes)
Review and images by Lanthanotus; edited by bmathison1972
After the cassowary, I again want to introduce you to another bird figure, representing a most impressive animal, but nevertheless being mostly ignored by major toy brands. Toy Animal Wiki lists six different figures, five of them are made by Japanese brands and are probably produced from some brittle plastic and not designed to withstand a time as a toy.
Common Kingfisher (Wild Animals by Papo)
4.3 (3 votes)
Images by postsaurischian; additional text by bmathison1972
The common kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) is a small bird endemic to much of the Palearctic, from Europe to North Africa, east to Japan, and south to the Malaysian Archipelago. Today we are looking at the 2019 rendition by Papo.
The figure measures 4.3 cm tall, including the stump base.
Southern Cassowary (Wildlife by CollectA)
4.7 (6 votes)
Review and images by Lanthanotus; edited by bmathison1972
Only few species of the once varied and numerous group of ratites remain in our modern world. Amonge these, the cassowaries are a very impressive occurrence, they are the most colorful and the second heaviest. Three species are known, but the one shown here is basically the only known to people other than the most dedicated ornithologists, the southern cassowary, Casuarius casuarius.
Giant Moa (SignatuStudio)
3.7 (3 votes)
Back in 2015, after finishing my Palaeontology degree and wanting to keep a grip on news in that field, I discovered a toy site that seemed quite interesting. Several months later, I bit the bullet and posted my first review. The rest is history, and now I have reached a major milestone, my 100th review!
Dove, pair (Noah’s Pals by Caboodle! Toys LLC)
4 (1 votes)
Whatever your stance on religion, it is hard to deny the impact that the story of Noah has had on animal welfare and conservation. Zoos have been named in his honour, and peace symbols based on animals in his story. In the mid 2000’s it also inspired a toy line, Noah’s Pals, where animals are packed two-by-two and numbers based on their conservation status, educating children in a fascinating way.
Great Lakes TOOB (Safari Ltd.)
5 (5 votes)
Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario. Those are the names of the Great Lakes of North America that boarder the central/east United States and Canada. In total area they represent the largest freshwater lakes on Earth, holding roughly 20% of the world’s surface freshwater and 9/10ths of the water supply for the United States.
Emu, male (Southlands Replicas)
5 (2 votes)
Review and photographs by Loon; edited by bmathison1972
Dromaius novaehollandiae, more commonly known as the emu, is the second-largest bird on earth, with the tallest being over 6½ feet or 2 meters tall. Being such an important part of Australian culture, it made sense that Southlands Replicas, a company that mostly specializes in replicas of Australian fauna, would release their emu in 2018.