598:
715:
and the lower mandible was 147 mm (5.8 in) long. The sternum was 64–88 mm (2.5–3.5 in) long, the scapula 72 mm (2.8 in), the coracoid 59–67 mm (2.3–2.6 in), the humerus 118–180 mm (4.6–7.1 in), the ulna 121 mm (4.8 in), the radius 117 mm (4.6 in), and the metacarpal 62–98 mm (2.4–3.9 in). The pelvis was 63 mm (2.5 in) long, the femur 90–92 mm (3.5–3.6 in), the tibiotarsus 140–210 mm (5.5–8.3 in), the tarsometatarsus 95–162 mm (3.7–6.4 in), and the second phalanx bone 20 mm (0.79 in).
727:(turned to bone), whereas it was incompletely ossified in the RĂ©union species, and unknown in that of Mauritius. The wing-bones of the Rodrigues and Mauritis species, including the humeri, ulnae, and carpometacarpi, were quite reduced, and the legs, the femora in particular, were longer than in extant species. The short and thick proportions of the tarsometatarsi in the Mascarene species were closest to the black-crowned night heron within their genus, this robustness probably being accentuated by the reduced flight abilities of the Rodrigues and Mauritius species.
856:
756:
929:). This gave them the impression that the wings of the Rodrigues night heron were unusually small; Cowles noted they are not when compared to the European subspecies. He instead found that the femur, tibiotarsus, and tarsometatarsus of the Rodrigues night heron were broader, longer, and more robust than those of the European black-crowned night heron, showing that its legs had become stronger as its need to fly decreased, an adaptation which can also be seen in other species endemic to oceanic islands.
88:
960:
694:
31:
62:
1008:
was no longer viable by the 1770s, and although the hunters probably also killed the birds, it was probably the introduction of cats in 1750 that led to their extinction, most likely by Pingré's 1761 visit a decade later. Hume noted that night herons have proven adept at colonising remote islands (with populations still reaching new islands) but are vulnerable when switching from aquatic to terrestrial life, which increases the impact of overhunting,
951:
937:(grooves) for the tendons that would have given it strong control over the flexion of its toes when it walked and ran. He concluded that although the Rodrigues night heron was still capable of weak flight, it was on the way to flightlessness, and that its adaptations for a terrestrial lifestyle in the forest (stronger than those of the other Mascarene herons) was influenced by the lack of standing water and wetlands on Rodrigues.
975:
2023 that the night herons of the
Mascarenes appear to have survived alongside introduced rats for centuries, and were common until the late 17th and early 18th centuries. These large birds would have been able to defend themselves and their offspring from rats with their strong bills. Cats were introduced to counter the rats, but went feral, and became a threat to the herons, especially the juveniles.
898:), finding them to be proportionally smaller. On the other hand, they found the leg bones to be better developed and the body size equal to the extant night heron, since they could compare the pelvis, which had been unknown to Milne-Edwards. They found the foot-bones to be very well-developed, thicker than in the black-crowned night heron, and considered this a sign that the bird was much more
794:, which reached 23 cm (9.1 in) in length. Leguat and his companions were fond of these quite tame lizards, letting them feed from their tables, and therefore tried to protect them from the aggressive herons. In 2023, Hume interpreted Leguat's account as indicating that the bird was very tame and confiding, and not afraid of humans, as is common in many island birds.
902:(adapted to running), and would have chased swift, terrestrial animals (such as lizards) rather than aquatic prey. They concluded that the bird had become short-winged without losing the power of flight but it compensated for this by the increased development of the legs, especially by enlarging the metatarsus so it could receive and serve as a base for the foot's tendons.
739:, which are white, so Hachisuka thought this a contradiction of Leguat, if it also referred to colouration. One 1674 account stated that the related RĂ©union night heron had "grey plumage, each feather tipped with white, the neck and beak like a heron and the feet green", which is similar to juveniles of extant
974:
The night heron species that inhabit continents and large islands are not threatened, but those restricted to small islands have been vulnerable to human activities, and six out of nine species and a subspecies are therefore extinct (three more unnamed extinct species are known). Hume pointed out in
932:
In 2007, Cheke and Hume called the night herons of
Rodrigues and Mauritius "behaviourally flightless", though still able to fly when required. Hume stated in 2023 that the hypotarsus (a process on the hind side of the tarsometatarsus that support the tendons of the toes) of the Rodrigues night heron
797:
Cheke and Hume suggested in 2007 that the
Rodrigues night heron fed on snails as well as the geckos, and that it and the Mauritius night heron fed on land rather than wetlands or shores, as some extant herons do on Cuba. Hume and colleagues listed the Rodrigues night heron as a possible predator of
714:
The
Rodrigues night heron is estimated to have been 60 cm (24 in) long. Measurements of the bones available by the late 19th century show that the skull was 154 mm (6.1 in) long, the upper mandible was 94 mm (3.7 in) long and 22 mm (0.87 in) wide at the base,
1007:
Hume stated in 2023 that the
Rodrigues night heron had been numerous during Leguat's and Tafforet's visits, but that when a small French population colonised the island in 1736 to hunt giant tortoises, this marked the beginning of the end for the heron and other terrestrial birds. Tortoise hunting
775:
We had
Bitterns as big and as fat as capons. They are tamer and more easily caught than the 'gelinotes' ... The lizards often serve as prey for the birds, especially for the Bitterns. When we shook them down from the branches with a pole, these birds ran up and gobbled them down in front of us, in
710:
in the
Rodrigues night heron, which is also present in the black-crowned night heron, and the male was the largest. There is a 17.5% length difference in the tibiotarsus between male and female specimens, 9.3% difference in the tarsometatarsus, and a 9.1% difference in the available mandibles. The
214:
995:
No later visitors mentioned the
Rodrigues night heron, and it had probably gone extinct by this time. Milne-Edwards suggested in 1873 that the bird was unable to escape the destruction that threatened it due to its diminished flight capabilities. Hume and the British ornithologist Michael Walters
802:
eggs and hatchlings in 2021. Hume speculated in 2023 that the increased sexual dimorphism in the species was a result of competition between the sexes. This kind of difference is mainly an effect of food availability, and each sex may have exploited different food items due to living on an island
718:
The RĂ©union night heron was the largest of the three
Mascarene night heron species in most features, except for in the tarsometatarsus, which was almost the same size as in the Rodrigues night heron, and the femur, which was smaller than in the Rodrigues species. In the Rodrigues night heron, the
676:
to examine the interrelationships of the
Mascarene herons, the Rodrigues and Mauritius species appear to have been closely related. Hume added that a complete Rodrigues night heron sternum he had found in Caverne Dora in Plaine Corail near other subfossil bird bones was the only known specimen of
663:
stated in 2007 that although the Mascarene night herons may have originated in Madagascar, the black-crowned night heron that they probably descended from is so widespread that they could also have colonised from Asia. Due to the diminished flight capabilities of the Rodrigues and Mauritius night
586:"Rodriguez flightless heron", due to his conviction that it had lost the ability to fly. In 1953, Hachisuka used the name "flightless heron" and added that this species was "quite remarkable" among herons, and not closely related to any other heron, extant or extinct. The American ornithologist
924:
Cowles argued in 1987 that Hachisuka's claim of flightlessness was dubious, and pointed out that GĂĽnther and Newton had thought they were using the bones of the European subspecies of the black-crowned night heron for comparison, but they had actually used the bones of the large South American
1012:, invasive predators, and loss of food. He therefore considered the fossil record important to the understanding of extinctions of island avifauna, but cautioned that many islands have inadequate records, and that more extinct island herons await discovery, the group having a much higher
803:
with limited resources. He also noted that the comparatively long and wide jaws suggest that the bird fed on larger prey. It may have inhabited and foraged in open forests containing palms with geckos, which is also the main habitat of invertebrates that live in leaf-litter, such as
990:
I heard said of neither gélinottes , nor butors , nor alouettes , nor bécassines ; there may have been some at the time of François Leguat, but they have either retreated from their homes or, more likely, the races no longer survive, since the island has been populated with
882:, or egrets), and the wings were weak as well, since their bones were not particularly large. He also found the legs to be proportionally short in relation to the large head, but with a well-developed femur, which he inferred to mean that the body of the bird was bulky.
672:. This led to increased size and robustness in their legs, with a corresponding shortening of the wings, which led to lesser flight capabilities compared to their ancestral populations, as well as more robust jaws. Hume stated that while there had been no
770:
Little is known about the behaviour of the Rodrigues night heron apart from the two contemporary descriptions, but it was better documented that its Mauritius relative. Leguat's 1708 description reads as follows, referring to these birds as "bitterns":
730:
The life appearance of the Rodrigues night heron is uncertain. Hachisuka speculated that Leguat referred to these birds as "bitterns" because their colouration may have reminded him of the plumage of the bitterns native to France, whose feathers are
336:
The Rodrigues night heron was robust, its bill was comparatively large, stout and straight, and its legs were short and strong. It is estimated to have been 60 cm (24 in) long, and its appearance in life is uncertain. There was marked
893:
GĂĽnther and A. Newton agreed with Milne-Edwards in 1879 after comparing the sternum and wing-bones of the Rodrigues night heron with bones they thought belonged to the European subspecies of black-crowned night heron
818:
is heavily damaged. Before humans arrived, forests covered the island entirely, but very little remains today. The Rodrigues night heron lived alongside other recently extinct birds, such as the Rodrigues solitaire,
667:
Hume explained in 2023 that night herons have successfully colonised oceanic islands and archipelagos, the island endemic species becoming increasingly adapted to a terrestrial lifestyle due to a lack of terrestrial
705:
The Rodrigues night heron was robust, its bill was comparatively large, stout and straight, and its legs were short and strong, and more robust than those of the related Mauritius night heron. There was marked
909:(while he quoted but ignored GĂĽnther and Newton's statement that it had not lost the power of flight). He concluded that take-off would only have been possible from sloping ground. The American ornithologists
349:
but this idea has not been accepted by others. The species could not be found by 1763, and it is thought to have been driven to extinction by human-related factors such as the introduction of cats.
905:
Hachisuka disregarded Tafforet's account in 1937, believing it unlikely that the bird would have been able to rise from the ground because its sternum and wing remains indicated it had become
640:), to belong to that genus. In 1999, the French palaeontologist Cécile Mourer-Chauviré and colleagues considered the tarsometatarsi of the Mascarene night herons closer in proportion to the
885:
After studying Tafforet's 1725–26 account, A. Newton stated in 1875 that it confirmed Milne-Edwards' observation that the bird was short-winged. Tafforet's account reads as follows:
407:, whose large head and short legs made it understandable that it was compared to a bittern. He considered the skull different from all other herons in size and shape, but found the
345:), was adapted to running, and although able to fly, rarely did so. Examinations of the known remains have confirmed its terrestrial adaptations; one researcher thought the species
1004:, such as cats. Cheke responded in 2013 that there was no deforestation at the time, the species appeared to have survived introduced rats, and that cats were the main culprits.
664:
herons, they suggested that the Mascarenes must have been colonised twice in any case, as these birds could not have been the ancestors of the longer-winged RĂ©union night heron.
889:
There are not a few Bitterns which are birds which only fly a very little, and run uncommonly well when they are chased. They are of the size of an egret and something like them.
1616:
Cheke, A. S. (1987). "An ecological history of the Mascarene Islands, with particular reference to extinctions and introductions of land vertebrates". In Diamond, A. W. (ed.).
1588:
1400:
380:
there. Leguat's observations on the local fauna are considered some of the first cohesive accounts of animal behaviour in the wild. In 1873, the French zoologist
1298:"Osteological and historical data on extinct island night herons (Aves: Ardeidae), with special reference to Ascension Island, the Mascarenes and Bonin Islands"
428:
is Greek for "great-headed", and references the large head and jaws of this species. The bones examined by Milne-Edwards included the skull, tarsometatarsus,
874:
Milne-Edwards concluded in 1873 that the sternum of the Rodrigues night heron was weak, and therefore did not belong to a bird with powerful wings (like the
1714:"Avian paleontology at the close of the 20th century: The avifauna of RĂ©union Island (Mascarene Islands) at the time of the arrival of the first Europeans"
659:
An associated but incomplete skeleton preserving the skull and jaws was discovered in Caverne Poule Rouge in 2006. Cheke and the British paleontologist
403:
Milne-Edwards correlated the bones with the "bitterns" of Leguat's account, but found that they were instead consistent with belonging to a species of
2007:"Extinct birds of the Mascarenes and Seychelles – a review of the causes of extinction in the light of an important new publication on extinct birds"
1659:
480:
1549:
325:
is Greek for "great-headed". Two related extinct species from the other Mascarene islands have also been identified from accounts and remains: the
1458:
2218:
1527:
1368:
1326:
2233:
479:
In 1875, A. Newton correlated references to "bitterns" with the heron in the then recently rediscovered 1725–26 account of the French sailor
776:
spite of all we could do to prevent them; and even if we only pretended to do so they came in the same manner and always followed us about.
495:
and E. Newton in 1879, with the benefit of bones not known at the time of Milne-Edwards's original description. They included the two last
341:, males being larger. Little is known about the bird's behaviour, but the contemporary accounts indicate that it ate lizards (probably the
527:. GĂĽnther and Newton did not find it necessary to describe these bones, as they were the same form as in other herons, particularly the
560:
in 1907, while noting that he was inclined to believe the three extinct Mascarene herons (which had previously been assigned to either
917:
pointed out in 1976 that the fossils of this heron did not indicate it was entirely flightless, contrary to Hachisuka's claim, as its
1937:
Hume, J. P. (2019). "Systematics, morphology and ecology of rails (Aves: Rallidae) of the Mascarene Islands, with one new species".
2123:
1573:
2203:
844:
473:
1207:
1989:
1826:
1637:
1169:
1131:
304:
remains found and described in the latter part of the 19th century. The bones showed that the bird was a heron, first named
2213:
1862:
1912:
711:
difference was almost the same in the Mauritius night heron, and there was little dimorphism in the RĂ©union night heron.
476:. This specimen since appears to have lost a humerus, a dorsal rib, both femora, a tibiotarsus, and both tarsometatarsi.
1336:
487:, which he thought confirmed Milne-Edwards's conclusions. More fossils were obtained from caves by the palaeontologist
466:
1686:
811:
colonies and giant tortoise breeding grounds. Hume suggested that it probably nested on the ground or in low bushes.
1485:
982:
noted the absence of the Rodrigues night heron and other birds by the time of his visit on Rodrigues to observe the
701:(G, middle two, from below and above) compared to that of the black-crowned night heron (H, at left and right), 1879
2228:
1885:"Preliminary diagnoses of two extraordinary new genera of birds from Pleistocene deposits in the Hawaiian Islands"
1230:"In the footsteps of the bone collectors: nineteenth-century cave exploration on Rodrigues Island, Indian Ocean"
1847:"Discovery of the first Mascarene giant tortoise nesting site on Rodrigues Island, Indian Ocean (Testudinidae:
840:
524:
1439:"IX. On additional bones of the Dodo and other extinct birds of Mauritius obtained by Mr. Theodore Sauzier"
372:
about his stay on the Mascarene island of Rodrigues from 1691–93. Leguat was the leader of a group of nine
1083:
578:
concluded in 1937 that this species was little related to any other heron, and moved it to a new genus as
2223:
597:
743:
herons. Hume stated in 2023 that this probably means that the Mascarene herons retained their juvenile (
1713:
396:, by the police magistrate George Jenner, who found the specimens in a cave on the Plaine Corail, near
87:
1438:
1056:
2066:
1356:
641:
602:
1515:
1395:
1085:
The voyage of François Leguat of Bresse, to Rodriguez, Mauritius, Java, and the Cape of Good Hope
422:
319:
2167:
979:
2074:
2029:
1328:
The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names [electronic resource]: from AALGE to ZUSII
1079:
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of the inner toe, and first of the hind toe. These bones are now part of the collection of the
461:
381:
241:
203:
2154:
1771:"Stratigraphy and chronology of karst features on Rodrigues Island, southwestern Indian Ocean"
814:
Many other species endemic to Rodrigues became extinct after humans arrived, and the island's
633:
330:
2162:
983:
625:
326:
183:
1666:
1617:
392:. These had been excavated in 1865 under the supervision of his brother, Colonial Secretary
2110:
2079:
1756:
Proceedings of the 8th International Meeting of Society of Avian Paleontology and Evolution
1409:
1001:
824:
624:
night heron. He also considered the two extinct herons of the other Mascarene islands, the
620:
stated that a then recently rediscovered skull in the NHM confirmed that the species was a
8:
2208:
2180:
1009:
934:
791:
763:
682:
649:
397:
342:
51:
1413:
1033:
1962:
1454:
1249:
832:
678:
673:
496:
229:
82:
863:
2006:
1985:
1966:
1954:
1904:
1822:
1795:
1770:
1751:
1682:
1667:
1633:
1618:
1491:
1332:
1253:
1229:
1165:
1127:
1089:
914:
859:
804:
707:
575:
553:
457:
338:
251:
1924:
1195:
755:
492:
1946:
1896:
1790:
1782:
1725:
1674:
1625:
1450:
1417:
1305:
1241:
1051:
921:(or keel) was still rather well-developed, and the wing-elements not very reduced.
836:
820:
617:
2089:
1310:
1297:
1162:
Lost Land of the Dodo: an Ecological History of Mauritius, RĂ©union & Rodrigues
870:, showing his settlement on Rodrigues; a lizard can be seen in a palm-tree (right)
1678:
1629:
1245:
1013:
910:
587:
500:
488:
445:
408:
373:
358:
1846:
1884:
918:
855:
828:
799:
660:
467:
300:" in two accounts from 1691–1693 and 1725–1726, and these were correlated with
139:
1950:
1769:
Burney, D.; Hume, J.; Middleton, G.; Steel, L.; Burney, L.; Porch, N. (2015).
1574:"Catalogue of fossil birds, part 1 (Archaeopterygiformes through Ardeiformes)"
2197:
2149:
2052:
1908:
1495:
1093:
1042:
997:
393:
389:
72:
1958:
1422:
879:
744:
413:
293:
693:
2136:
583:
528:
453:
429:
309:
388:
bird bones from Rodrigues he had received via the British ornithologist
30:
2175:
2128:
1900:
1845:
Hume, J.P.; Griffiths, O.; Andre, A. A.; Meunier, A.; Bour, R. (2021).
1786:
906:
875:
545:
533:
346:
314:
273:
159:
66:
2141:
1729:
807:, and at other times of the year it could have scavenged from coastal
747:) plumage into adulthood, as is the case for some other island birds.
899:
815:
790:(there were six gecko species on Mauritius), such as the now extinct
566:
441:
385:
377:
301:
289:
285:
222:
99:
38:
2102:
2023:
959:
213:
2046:
1126:(2 ed.). Croydon: Bloomsbury Natural History. pp. 80–82.
786:
759:
724:
362:
297:
119:
735:, mottled with black. On the other hand, Tafforet likened them to
2061:
808:
732:
677:
this species photographed in the location it was found, and that
669:
537:, and they therefore transferred the Rodrigues species there, as
520:
508:
449:
437:
281:
42:
2115:
1752:"A synopsis of the pre-human avifauna of the Mascarene Islands"
996:
stated in 2012 that the extinction was a consequence of severe
867:
781:
736:
720:
698:
612:
The British ecologist Anthony S. Cheke referred to the bird as
516:
504:
366:
109:
1711:
1164:. London: T. & A. D. Poyser. pp. 49–52, 78, 88, 131.
766:, based on contemporary accounts, remains, and related species
2097:
1712:
Mourer-Chauvire, C.; Bour, R.; Ribes, S.; Moutou, F. (1999).
606:
433:
404:
277:
149:
950:
1357:"Additional evidence as to the original fauna of Rodriguez"
1025:
512:
129:
1228:
Hume, J. P.; Steel, L.; André, A. A.; Meunier, A. (2015).
491:
in 1874, and these were described by the German zoologist
1844:
1624:. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 32–33.
1581:
Bulletin of the Florida State Museum: Biological Sciences
1401:
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London
1821:. New York: Facts On File Publications. pp. 41–43.
1768:
1196:"Recherches sur la faune ancienne des Iles Mascareignes"
685:
humerus gave a range of 3060–2870 years before present.
1984:(1 ed.). London: A & C Black. pp. 71–72.
648:) than to other members of the genus, particularly the
1031:
1750:
Hume, J. P. (2013). Göhlich, U. B.; Kroh, A. (eds.).
1673:. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 94.
1227:
616:
in 1987; in the same book, the British ornithologist
1561:. London: H. F. & G. Witherby. pp. 170–175.
1443:
The Transactions of the Zoological Society of London
1088:. Vol. 1. London: Hakluyt Society. p. 81.
411:
foot bone similar to that of the extant heron genus
1889:
Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington
1520:
Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington
1189:
1187:
1185:
1183:
1181:
1117:
1115:
1113:
1111:
1109:
1107:
1105:
1103:
968:
Leguat's 1708 maps of Rodrigues and his settlement.
850:
1430:
376:refugees who settled on Rodrigues after they were
1812:
1810:
1808:
1806:
1490:. London: Hutchinson & Co. pp. 111–115.
1057:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22728787A94996659.en
2195:
1509:
1507:
1505:
1389:
1387:
1385:
1178:
1100:
544:In 1893, E. Newton and the German ornithologist
1361:Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London
318:in 1879 after more remains were described. The
1803:
464:is attached to) is an incomplete but probably
1973:
1743:
1653:
1651:
1649:
1502:
1479:
1477:
1475:
1393:
1382:
1221:
1193:
933:was particularly distinct and had very large
460:(the specimen the specific name and original
1882:
1762:
1611:
1609:
1555:, The Extinct Birds of the Mascarene Islands
1291:
1289:
1287:
1285:
1283:
1979:
1840:
1838:
1707:
1705:
1436:
1281:
1279:
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1273:
1271:
1269:
1267:
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1263:
1155:
1153:
1151:
1149:
1147:
1145:
1143:
1646:
1483:
1472:
1350:
1348:
212:
60:
29:
1998:
1876:
1794:
1718:Smithsonian Contributions to Paleobiology
1606:
1547:
1541:
1513:
1421:
1331:. London: Christopher Helm. p. 245.
1309:
1200:Annales des Sciences Naturelles, Zoologie
1159:
1055:
1930:
1835:
1702:
1571:
1516:"On the flightless heron from Rodriguez"
1260:
1140:
854:
754:
750:
692:
596:
1345:
1324:
472:specimen catalogued as UMZC 572 at the
2196:
1816:
1657:
1354:
1077:
845:saddle-backed Rodrigues giant tortoise
780:The "lizards" mentioned were probably
719:supratendinal bridge ("bridge" over a
474:Cambridge University Museum of Zoology
417:, and therefore named the new species
296:. The species was first mentioned as "
2219:Extinct birds of Indian Ocean islands
2028:
2027:
2004:
1615:
1071:
614:Nycticorax ('Megaphoyx') megacephalus
2234:Taxa named by Alphonse Milne-Edwards
1936:
1749:
1295:
1121:
762:of a Rodrigues night heron eating a
1594:from the original on 5 January 2023
1318:
1043:IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
13:
1883:Olson, S. L.; Wetmore, A. (1976).
1455:10.1111/j.1469-7998.1893.tb00001.x
1160:Cheke, A. S.; Hume, J. P. (2008).
723:) of the tibiotarsus was entirely
14:
2245:
1980:Hume, J. P.; Walters, M. (2012).
1775:Journal of Cave and Karst Studies
1669:Studies of Mascarene Island Birds
1620:Studies of Mascarene Island Birds
605:, an extant relative in the same
1396:"The extinct birds of Rodriguez"
1394:GĂĽnther, A.; Newton, E. (1879).
958:
949:
851:Flight and terrestrial abilities
86:
1915:from the original on 2023-08-04
1865:from the original on 2021-02-16
1565:
1530:from the original on 2018-10-12
1461:from the original on 2017-09-11
1371:from the original on 2017-10-02
1210:from the original on 2017-02-27
1032:BirdLife International (2016).
978:In 1763, the French astronomer
847:, and the Rodrigues day gecko.
839:. Extinct reptiles include the
370:A New Voyage to the East Indies
1437:Newton, E.; Gadow, H. (1893).
841:domed Rodrigues giant tortoise
688:
550:Ardea (Nycticorax) megacephala
525:Natural History Museum, London
1:
2204:IUCN Red List extinct species
1311:10.1016/j.geobios.2023.01.009
1019:
940:
574:. The Japanese ornithologist
1679:10.1017/CBO9780511735769.004
1630:10.1017/CBO9780511735769.003
1551:The Dodo and Kindred Birds,
1246:10.1080/08912963.2014.886203
552:, and the British zoologist
7:
2214:Bird extinctions since 1500
1665:. In Diamond, A. W. (ed.).
352:
10:
2250:
1927:(Accessed 6 November 2023)
1194:Milne-Edwards, A. (1873).
485:Relation de l'Ile Rodrigue
308:in 1873, but moved to the
2036:
1951:10.11646/zootaxa.4626.1.1
642:black-crowned night heron
603:black-crowned night heron
519:(lower arm bone), second
235:
228:
220:
211:
189:
182:
83:Scientific classification
81:
69: (mid-18th century)
58:
49:
37:
28:
23:
1202:. Series 5 (in French).
1050:: e.T22728787A94996659.
548:referred to the bird as
2229:Birds described in 1874
2181:Nycticorax-megacephalus
2038:Nycticorax megacephalus
1484:Rothschild, W. (1907).
1325:Jobling, J. A. (2010).
1036:Nycticorax megacephalus
831:, Rodrigues scops owl,
556:used the original name
539:Nycticorax megacephalus
269:Nycticorax megacephalus
196:Nycticorax megacephalus
41:skull, limb bones, and
16:Extinct species of bird
1658:Cowles, G. S. (1987).
1548:Hachisuka, M. (1953).
1514:Hachisuka, M. (1937).
1423:10.1098/rstl.1879.0043
1016:than currently known.
993:
891:
871:
778:
767:
702:
697:Rodrigues night heron
609:
462:scientific description
452:(upper arm bone), and
382:Alphonse Milne-Edwards
24:Rodrigues night heron
2163:Paleobiology Database
2005:Cheke, A. S. (2013).
1796:10536/DRO/DU:30074121
1572:Brodkorb, P. (1963).
988:
984:1761 transit of Venus
887:
858:
773:
758:
751:Behaviour and ecology
696:
626:Mauritius night heron
600:
580:Megaphoyx megacephala
499:(of the neck), fifth
327:Mauritius night heron
264:Rodrigues night heron
248:Megaphoyx megacephala
1296:Hume, J. P. (2023).
1122:Hume, J. P. (2017).
1002:introduced predators
980:Alexandre Guy Pingré
590:kept the species in
465:
456:("hand" bones). The
357:The French traveler
175:N. megacephalus
1817:Fuller, E. (1987).
1660:"The fossil record"
1414:1879RSPT..168..423G
1355:Newton, A. (1875).
1078:Leguat, F. (1891).
1010:habitat destruction
792:Rodrigues day gecko
764:Rodrigues day gecko
683:Rodrigues scops owl
650:nankeen night heron
634:RĂ©union night heron
582:. He also used the
398:Rodrigues solitaire
343:Rodrigues day gecko
331:RĂ©union night heron
52:Conservation status
2224:Fauna of Rodrigues
1787:10.4311/2013PA0132
1234:Historical Biology
872:
833:Rodrigues starling
768:
703:
679:radiocarbon dating
674:molecular analysis
610:
570:) all belonged in
515:(lower arm bone),
511:(shoulder blade),
497:cervical vertebrae
432:(lower leg bone),
2191:
2190:
2030:Taxon identifiers
1991:978-1-4081-5725-1
1855:Herpetology Notes
1828:978-0-670-81787-0
1639:978-0-521-11331-1
1171:978-0-7136-6544-4
1133:978-1-4729-3744-5
915:Alexander Wetmore
825:Newton's parakeet
805:terrestrial crabs
708:sexual dimorphism
576:Masauji Hachisuka
558:Ardea megacephala
554:Walter Rothschild
458:holotype specimen
419:Ardea megacephala
339:sexual dimorphism
306:Ardea megacephala
260:
259:
255:
245:
238:Ardea megacephala
76:
2241:
2184:
2183:
2171:
2170:
2158:
2157:
2145:
2144:
2132:
2131:
2119:
2118:
2106:
2105:
2093:
2092:
2083:
2082:
2070:
2069:
2067:9BF5478334F5BEDF
2057:
2056:
2055:
2025:
2024:
2019:
2018:
2002:
1996:
1995:
1977:
1971:
1970:
1934:
1928:
1923:
1921:
1920:
1880:
1874:
1873:
1871:
1870:
1842:
1833:
1832:
1814:
1801:
1800:
1798:
1766:
1760:
1759:
1747:
1741:
1740:
1738:
1736:
1709:
1700:
1699:
1697:
1695:
1672:
1664:
1655:
1644:
1643:
1623:
1613:
1604:
1603:
1601:
1599:
1593:
1578:
1569:
1563:
1562:
1560:
1545:
1539:
1538:
1536:
1535:
1511:
1500:
1499:
1481:
1470:
1469:
1467:
1466:
1434:
1428:
1427:
1425:
1391:
1380:
1379:
1377:
1376:
1352:
1343:
1342:
1322:
1316:
1315:
1313:
1293:
1258:
1257:
1225:
1219:
1218:
1216:
1215:
1191:
1176:
1175:
1157:
1138:
1137:
1119:
1098:
1097:
1075:
1069:
1068:
1066:
1064:
1059:
1029:
962:
953:
896:N. n. nycticorax
837:Rodrigues pigeon
821:Rodrigues parrot
618:Graham S. Cowles
469:
250:
240:
216:
198:
194:
91:
90:
70:
64:
63:
33:
21:
20:
2249:
2248:
2244:
2243:
2242:
2240:
2239:
2238:
2194:
2193:
2192:
2187:
2179:
2174:
2166:
2161:
2153:
2148:
2140:
2135:
2127:
2122:
2114:
2109:
2101:
2096:
2088:
2086:
2078:
2073:
2065:
2060:
2051:
2050:
2045:
2032:
2022:
2003:
1999:
1992:
1978:
1974:
1935:
1931:
1918:
1916:
1881:
1877:
1868:
1866:
1843:
1836:
1829:
1815:
1804:
1767:
1763:
1748:
1744:
1734:
1732:
1710:
1703:
1693:
1691:
1689:
1662:
1656:
1647:
1640:
1614:
1607:
1597:
1595:
1591:
1576:
1570:
1566:
1558:
1546:
1542:
1533:
1531:
1512:
1503:
1482:
1473:
1464:
1462:
1435:
1431:
1392:
1383:
1374:
1372:
1353:
1346:
1339:
1323:
1319:
1294:
1261:
1226:
1222:
1213:
1211:
1192:
1179:
1172:
1158:
1141:
1134:
1120:
1101:
1076:
1072:
1062:
1060:
1030:
1026:
1022:
1014:extinction rate
972:
971:
970:
969:
965:
964:
963:
955:
954:
943:
911:Storrs L. Olson
864:François Leguat
853:
753:
691:
588:Pierce Brodkorb
503:(of the back),
501:dorsal vertebra
489:Henry H. Slater
481:Julien Tafforet
471:
446:shoulder-girdle
440:(breast-bone),
409:tarsometatarsal
374:French Huguenot
359:Francois Leguat
355:
246:
207:
200:
192:
191:
178:
85:
77:
65:
61:
54:
17:
12:
11:
5:
2247:
2237:
2236:
2231:
2226:
2221:
2216:
2211:
2206:
2189:
2188:
2186:
2185:
2172:
2159:
2146:
2133:
2120:
2107:
2094:
2084:
2071:
2058:
2042:
2040:
2034:
2033:
2021:
2020:
1997:
1990:
1972:
1929:
1925:Alternate Link
1875:
1834:
1827:
1802:
1761:
1742:
1701:
1687:
1645:
1638:
1605:
1564:
1540:
1501:
1471:
1449:(7): 281–302.
1429:
1381:
1344:
1338:978-1408133262
1337:
1317:
1259:
1240:(2): 265–286.
1220:
1177:
1170:
1139:
1132:
1099:
1070:
1023:
1021:
1018:
967:
966:
957:
956:
948:
947:
946:
945:
944:
942:
939:
927:N. n. obscurus
919:sternal carina
852:
849:
829:Rodrigues rail
800:giant tortoise
752:
749:
690:
687:
661:Julian P. Hume
654:N. caledonicus
630:N. mauritianus
493:Albert GĂĽnther
436:(thigh-bone),
365:" in his 1708
354:
351:
258:
257:
233:
232:
226:
225:
218:
217:
209:
208:
201:
187:
186:
180:
179:
171:
169:
165:
164:
157:
153:
152:
147:
143:
142:
140:Pelecaniformes
137:
133:
132:
127:
123:
122:
117:
113:
112:
107:
103:
102:
97:
93:
92:
79:
78:
59:
56:
55:
50:
47:
46:
35:
34:
26:
25:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
2246:
2235:
2232:
2230:
2227:
2225:
2222:
2220:
2217:
2215:
2212:
2210:
2207:
2205:
2202:
2201:
2199:
2182:
2177:
2173:
2169:
2164:
2160:
2156:
2151:
2147:
2143:
2138:
2134:
2130:
2125:
2121:
2117:
2112:
2108:
2104:
2099:
2095:
2091:
2085:
2081:
2076:
2072:
2068:
2063:
2059:
2054:
2048:
2044:
2043:
2041:
2039:
2035:
2031:
2026:
2016:
2012:
2008:
2001:
1993:
1987:
1983:
1982:Extinct Birds
1976:
1968:
1964:
1960:
1956:
1952:
1948:
1944:
1940:
1933:
1926:
1914:
1910:
1906:
1902:
1898:
1894:
1890:
1886:
1879:
1864:
1860:
1856:
1852:
1850:
1841:
1839:
1830:
1824:
1820:
1819:Extinct Birds
1813:
1811:
1809:
1807:
1797:
1792:
1788:
1784:
1780:
1776:
1772:
1765:
1757:
1753:
1746:
1731:
1727:
1723:
1719:
1715:
1708:
1706:
1690:
1688:9780511735769
1684:
1680:
1676:
1671:
1670:
1661:
1654:
1652:
1650:
1641:
1635:
1631:
1627:
1622:
1621:
1612:
1610:
1590:
1586:
1582:
1575:
1568:
1557:
1556:
1552:
1544:
1529:
1525:
1521:
1517:
1510:
1508:
1506:
1497:
1493:
1489:
1488:
1487:Extinct Birds
1480:
1478:
1476:
1460:
1456:
1452:
1448:
1444:
1440:
1433:
1424:
1419:
1415:
1411:
1407:
1403:
1402:
1397:
1390:
1388:
1386:
1370:
1366:
1362:
1358:
1351:
1349:
1340:
1334:
1330:
1329:
1321:
1312:
1307:
1303:
1299:
1292:
1290:
1288:
1286:
1284:
1282:
1280:
1278:
1276:
1274:
1272:
1270:
1268:
1266:
1264:
1255:
1251:
1247:
1243:
1239:
1235:
1231:
1224:
1209:
1205:
1201:
1197:
1190:
1188:
1186:
1184:
1182:
1173:
1167:
1163:
1156:
1154:
1152:
1150:
1148:
1146:
1144:
1135:
1129:
1125:
1124:Extinct Birds
1118:
1116:
1114:
1112:
1110:
1108:
1106:
1104:
1095:
1091:
1087:
1086:
1081:
1080:Oliver, S. P.
1074:
1058:
1053:
1049:
1045:
1044:
1039:
1037:
1028:
1024:
1017:
1015:
1011:
1005:
1003:
999:
998:deforestation
992:
987:
985:
981:
976:
961:
952:
938:
936:
930:
928:
922:
920:
916:
912:
908:
903:
901:
897:
890:
886:
883:
881:
877:
869:
865:
861:
857:
848:
846:
842:
838:
834:
830:
826:
822:
817:
812:
810:
806:
801:
795:
793:
789:
788:
784:of the genus
783:
777:
772:
765:
761:
757:
748:
746:
742:
738:
734:
728:
726:
722:
716:
712:
709:
700:
695:
686:
684:
680:
675:
671:
665:
662:
657:
655:
651:
647:
646:N. nycticorax
643:
639:
635:
631:
627:
623:
619:
615:
608:
604:
599:
595:
593:
589:
585:
581:
577:
573:
569:
568:
563:
559:
555:
551:
547:
542:
540:
536:
535:
530:
526:
522:
518:
514:
510:
506:
502:
498:
494:
490:
486:
482:
477:
475:
470:
463:
459:
455:
451:
447:
444:(part of the
443:
439:
435:
431:
427:
424:
423:specific name
420:
416:
415:
410:
406:
401:
399:
395:
394:Edward Newton
391:
390:Alfred Newton
387:
383:
379:
375:
371:
368:
364:
360:
350:
348:
344:
340:
334:
332:
328:
324:
321:
320:specific name
317:
316:
311:
307:
303:
299:
295:
291:
287:
283:
279:
275:
271:
270:
265:
256:
253:
249:
243:
242:Milne-Edwards
239:
234:
231:
227:
224:
219:
215:
210:
205:
204:Milne-Edwards
199:
197:
188:
185:
184:Binomial name
181:
177:
176:
170:
167:
166:
163:
162:
158:
155:
154:
151:
148:
145:
144:
141:
138:
135:
134:
131:
128:
125:
124:
121:
118:
115:
114:
111:
108:
105:
104:
101:
98:
95:
94:
89:
84:
80:
74:
68:
57:
53:
48:
44:
40:
36:
32:
27:
22:
19:
2037:
2014:
2010:
2000:
1981:
1975:
1942:
1938:
1932:
1917:. Retrieved
1892:
1888:
1878:
1867:. Retrieved
1858:
1854:
1849:Cylindraspis
1848:
1818:
1781:(1): 37–51.
1778:
1774:
1764:
1755:
1745:
1733:. Retrieved
1721:
1717:
1692:. Retrieved
1668:
1619:
1596:. Retrieved
1584:
1580:
1567:
1554:
1550:
1543:
1532:. Retrieved
1523:
1519:
1486:
1463:. Retrieved
1446:
1442:
1432:
1405:
1399:
1373:. Retrieved
1364:
1360:
1327:
1320:
1301:
1237:
1233:
1223:
1212:. Retrieved
1203:
1199:
1161:
1123:
1084:
1073:
1061:. Retrieved
1047:
1041:
1035:
1027:
1006:
994:
989:
977:
973:
931:
926:
925:subspecies (
923:
904:
895:
892:
888:
884:
880:purple heron
873:
860:Frontispiece
813:
796:
785:
779:
774:
769:
745:paedomorphic
740:
729:
717:
713:
704:
681:of a nearby
666:
658:
653:
645:
637:
629:
621:
613:
611:
591:
579:
571:
565:
561:
557:
549:
543:
538:
532:
484:
478:
425:
418:
412:
402:
369:
356:
335:
322:
313:
305:
294:Indian Ocean
268:
267:
263:
261:
247:
237:
236:
221:Location of
195:
190:
174:
173:
160:
18:
2137:iNaturalist
1901:10088/12823
1895:(18): 250.
1526:: 145–150.
1408:: 423–437.
1063:12 November
760:Restoration
689:Description
584:common name
529:night heron
454:metacarpals
430:tibiotarsus
426:megacephala
361:mentioned "
323:megacephala
310:night heron
276:species of
2209:Nycticorax
2198:Categories
2176:Xeno-canto
1919:2023-08-04
1869:2023-08-04
1758:: 195–237.
1735:6 November
1730:10088/2005
1694:6 November
1598:6 November
1587:(4): 283.
1534:2023-07-05
1465:2018-01-13
1375:2023-07-05
1214:2018-02-21
1020:References
941:Extinction
907:flightless
876:grey heron
835:, and the
741:Nycticorax
638:N. duboisi
632:) and the
622:Nycticorax
592:Nycticorax
572:Nycticorax
546:Hans Gadow
534:Nycticorax
468:associated
400:remains.
384:described
347:flightless
315:Nycticorax
288:island of
161:Nycticorax
1967:198258434
1945:(1): 37.
1909:0006-324X
1496:191907718
1367:: 39–43.
1254:128901896
1094:560907441
900:cursorial
816:ecosystem
594:in 1963.
567:Butorides
442:coracoids
386:subfossil
302:subfossil
290:Rodrigues
286:Mascarene
280:that was
252:Hachisuka
223:Rodrigues
168:Species:
106:Kingdom:
100:Eukaryota
39:Subfossil
2155:22728787
2080:22728787
2075:BirdLife
2047:Wikidata
2011:Phelsuma
1959:31712544
1913:Archived
1863:Archived
1724:: 5–11.
1589:Archived
1528:Archived
1459:Archived
1369:Archived
1208:Archived
1206:: 1–31.
866:'s 1708
787:Phelsuma
725:ossified
378:marooned
363:bitterns
353:Taxonomy
329:and the
298:bitterns
272:) is an
230:Synonyms
150:Ardeidae
146:Family:
120:Chordata
116:Phylum:
110:Animalia
96:Domain:
73:IUCN 3.1
2129:5789309
2116:7242851
2103:rodnih1
2090:rodnih1
2062:Avibase
2053:Q862063
2017:: 4–19.
1939:Zootaxa
1861:(112).
1410:Bibcode
1302:Geobios
1082:(ed.).
809:seabird
733:buffish
670:mammals
521:phalanx
509:scapula
450:humerus
438:sternum
292:in the
284:to the
282:endemic
274:extinct
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