Mauritius Night-Heron (Nycticorax mauritianus)
Posted on 31 December, 1700 in Extinct
Year Last Seen:
1700
Comments:
This species is known from the mainland of Mauritius. It was last recorded in 1693, and was probably driven Extinct by hunters before 1700.
Habitat:
It is likely to have inhabited freshwater wetlands.
Causes:
Hunting is likely to have led to its extinction.
Distribution:
Nycticorax mauritianus was described from seven fossil bones (of which only a coracoid and a tarsometatarsus are available today), from Mauritius (Cowles 1987). Leguat's description of "great flights of bitterns" in 1693 probably refers to this species, given that the only two other species of Ardeidae known from the island are Dimorphic Egret Egretta dimorpha and Green Heron Butorides striatus (Cheke 1987), species which could in no way be described as "bitterns".