The Bermuda crab heron ( Nyctanassa carcinocatactes ) is an extinct species of heron from the Bermuda Islands. It was only described in 2006 by Storrs Olson and David B. Wingate based on bone finds from Pleistocene and Holocene deposits in caves and ponds of the Bermuda Islands. The nature of the bones suggests that it looked quite similar to its closest relative, the crab heron ( N. violacea ). However, it had a heavier beak, a more massive skull, and more robust hind limbs. The specialization of the beak and hind limbs indicate that it was apparently adapted to a land crab diet. Earlier historical references undoubtedly refer to this species, which is believed to have been exterminated during the colonization of the Bermuda Islands in the 17th century.
literature
Storrs Olson and David Balcombe Wingate: A New Species of Night-heron (Ardeidae: Nyctanassa) from Quaternary Deposits on Bermuda PDF Volltext, 962 kB . In: Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington.
