Norfolk Island Pigeon
Encyclopedia
The Norfolk Island Pigeon (Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae spadicea), sometimes called a Wood Quest, was a subspecies of the New Zealand Pigeon that inhabited Norfolk Island
. It went extinct around the turn of the 20th century.
The abundance of the Norfolk Island Pigeon at the time of the island's settlement is unknown. Early records indicate the presence of the bird, but do not contain any information on its numbers. Based on the behaviour of the other subspecies, it is likely that the bird relied upon fruiting plants for food.
s, habitat destruction by human settlers, and direct hunting by human
s. Prior to European settlement, the bird had been hunted by the Polynesian
settlers of the island. When Europeans reached the island, however, the birds remained and the Polynesians did not. The Europeans took up the bird as a food source. An officer of the penal colony there, Ensign Abel Dottin William Best, recorded the species as still quite common in 1838, with his journals mentioning his successful hunting of 72 birds, including 25 on September 18th, 1838. The last sighting occurred in 1901. Direct hunting by humans was likely the dominant cause of extinction.
, in his 1802 work Supplementum Indicis Ornithologici. Twenty specimens of the Norfolk Island Pigeon are known. Three of these are in the Natural History Museum, Leiden.
Norfolk Island
Norfolk Island is a small island in the Pacific Ocean located between Australia, New Zealand and New Caledonia. The island is part of the Commonwealth of Australia, but it enjoys a large degree of self-governance...
. It went extinct around the turn of the 20th century.
Ecology
Extinction
The extinction of the Norfolk Island Pigeon was caused by a combination of the introduction of cats and weaselWeasel
Weasels are mammals forming the genus Mustela of the Mustelidae family. They are small, active predators, long and slender with short legs....
s, habitat destruction by human settlers, and direct hunting by human
Human
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
s. Prior to European settlement, the bird had been hunted by the Polynesian
Polynesian culture
Polynesian culture refers to the indigenous peoples' culture of Polynesia who share common traits in language, customs and society. Chronologically, the development of Polynesian culture can be divided into four different historical eras:...
settlers of the island. When Europeans reached the island, however, the birds remained and the Polynesians did not. The Europeans took up the bird as a food source. An officer of the penal colony there, Ensign Abel Dottin William Best, recorded the species as still quite common in 1838, with his journals mentioning his successful hunting of 72 birds, including 25 on September 18th, 1838. The last sighting occurred in 1901. Direct hunting by humans was likely the dominant cause of extinction.
Specimens
The first description of the species was given by John LathamJohn Latham (ornithologist)
John Latham was an English physician, naturalist and author. He was born at Eltham in Kent, and was the eldest son of John Latham, a surgeon there, and his mother was a descendant of the Sothebys, in Yorkshire....
, in his 1802 work Supplementum Indicis Ornithologici. Twenty specimens of the Norfolk Island Pigeon are known. Three of these are in the Natural History Museum, Leiden.