Small Saint Helena Petrel (Bulweria bifax)

Year Last Seen:

1550

Comments:

This species was endemic to the island of St Helena, but is thought to have been hunted to extinction shortly after the island's discovery in 1502.

Habitat:

It may have bred throughout the island and foraged over the open ocean.

Causes:

Predation by people and introduced predators is likely to have driven it to extinction.

Distribution:

Bulweria bifax was a large petrel, known only from fossils and endemic to St Helena (to UK). It probably became extinct shortly after the discovery of the island in 1502 (Olson 1975b).

References:

IUCN Redbook Data