Hoopoe Starling (Fregilupus varius)
Posted on 31 December, 1860 in Extinct
Year Last Seen:
1860
Comments:
This species was known from the island of Réunion, but it became Extinct in the 1850s. Introduced disease and various forms of human disturbance are likely to have contributed to its decline.
Habitat:
Nothing is known, although it is likely to have been a forest species.
Causes:
Reasons for its extinction are unclear but may possibly be due to an introduced disease, combined with changing population pressure due to the emancipation of slaves in 1848, forest fires, drought and deforestation (Cheke 1987). It has been described as tame and easy to knock down with sticks, so hunting may have also played a part.
Distribution:
Fregilupus varius was endemic to Réunion (to France). It was described by most visitors to the island from 1669 onwards, and was apparently common as late as the 1830s (Cheke 1987). However, the last specimen was shot in 1837, and the species became extinct between 1850 and 1860. Nineteen specimens survive (Berger 1957).