The highland finch (Orthiospiza howarthi) is an extinct member of the Fringillidae and a Hawaiian honeycreeper which is known only from a few bones found in caves.

The highland finch was 18–20 cm (7–8 in) long[2] and had a large, relatively weak, bill that was suited for feeding on soft fruits, seeds, and flowers such as ‘ōhi‘a lehua blossoms.

The finch is believed to have inhabited highland forest,[1] though its fossils have also been found at lower elevations of the island[citation needed].

It appears to have become extinct not long after the first Polynesians settlers who cleared some of the land for farming and introduced species for which the native birds had no defence.

It has been speculated that this species' visits to lower elevations was its undoing due to contact with avian diseases and pests[citation needed].