Rodrigues Starling (Necropsar rodericanus)

Year Last Seen:

1726

Comments:

This species was endemic to the island of Rodrigues, Mauritius, but is now Extinct, probably due to a combination of hunting, habitat loss and the action of invasive species. The last records date from 1726, and the species was not found on a visit in 1761.

Habitat:

Nothing is known, although a travellers account of a bird which fed on the contents of the eggs of seabirds and turtles may refer to this species.

Causes:

The reason for this species's extinction is unknown (Cheke 1987), but hunting, habitat destruction and the depredations of introduced mammals must surely all have contributed.

Distribution:

Necropsar rodericanus is known only from bones from Rodrigues, Mauritius (Cowles 1987), which are presumably referable to the birds "Testudophaga bicolor" (Rothschild 1907) described by Tafforet from Ile du Mât in 1726. These constitute the last records and no birds were seen by Pingré in 1961 (Cheke 1987).

References:

IUCN Redbook Data