Rodrigues parrot
| Rodrigues parrot | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rodrigues parrot. Artistic reconstruction |
||||||||||
| Systematics | ||||||||||
|
||||||||||
| Scientific name | ||||||||||
| Necropsittacus rodericanus | ||||||||||
| ( Milne-Edwards , 1867) |
The Rodrigues parrot ( Necropsittacus rodericanus , Syn . : Necropsittacus rodricanus ) is an extinct species of the real parrots that was endemic to the Mascarene Islands Mauritius and Rodrigues in the Indian Ocean .
features
The bird resembled the recent ring-necked parakeet , but was larger and stronger. He had a green plumage and, in the male sex, an orange head. The upper wing tips were also colored orange. The tail and the base of the wings were green. Females were feathered green all over their bodies. The parrot had a large skull with a powerful beak.
Way of life
Nothing is known of the way of life of the Rodrigues parrots.
First scientific description
The species was first noticed scientifically in 1708 on the basis of bone finds by François Leguat . It was first described in 1867 as Psittacus rodericanus . In 1874 it was transferred to the genus Necropsittacus .
die out
The last sightings took place in 1761 and 1763. The Rodrigues parrot was last documented in 1763 in Mauritius. The main cause of extinction was hunting.
Web links
- Necropsittacus rodricanus inthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2011.1. Listed by: BirdLife International, 2008. Retrieved October 29, 2011.
- BirdLife International: Species Factsheet - Rodrigues Parrot ( Necropsittacus rodricanus ) . Retrieved October 29, 2011.
- Necropsittacus rodericanus at Avibase
- ZOOTAXA 1513 Reappraisal of the parrots (Aves: Psittacidae) from the Mascarene Islands, with comments on their ecology, morphology, and affinities by JULIAN PENDER HUME (PDF; 2.3 MB)