Mauritius parrot
| Mauritius parrot | ||||||||
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Lophopsittacus mauritianus illustration from 1907 |
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| Systematics | ||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||
| Lophopsittacus mauritianus | ||||||||
| ( Owen , 1866) |
The Mauritius parrot ( Lophopsittacus mauritianus ), also known as the crested parrot , is an extinct species. He only lived in Mauritius .
description
It was about 70 cm tall, making it one of the largest parrot species . It had gray-blue plumage and a beak larger than that of a macaw . This gave it the largest beak of all parrots. Its sternum was reduced , similar to that of the kakapo , making the species flightless or a poor flyer. The information on this is contradictory.
Way of life
It presumably ate fruit and other soft foods and was ground brooding.
Distribution history
The Mauritius parrot was first scientifically described after bone finds. Only later was a travel report from Wolphart Harmandszoon , who had visited Mauritius in 1601/1602, discovered, with a picture of the parrot. He is now known from numerous reports by travelers and from drawings of the bird.
The Mauritius parrots were exterminated through stalking by domestic dogs, house cats, pigs, monkeys and rats. They were last observed in 1673–1675.
literature
- Dieter Luther. The Extinct Birds of the World , 1995, Westarp Sciences, ISBN 3-89432-213-6
- Edwin Antonius. Lexicon of extinct birds and mammals , 2003, Natur und Tier Verlag, Münster, ISBN 3-931587-76-2
Web links
- Lophopsittacus mauritianus in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2011. Posted by: BirdLife International, 2008. Accessed November 16, 2011th
- Rothschild, Lionel Walter (1868-1937): Extinct birds: an attempt to unite in one volume a short account of those birds which have become extinct in historical times: that is, within the last six or seven hundred years: to which are added a few which still exist, but are on the verge of extinction (1907). London: Hutchinson