Pohnpei Starling
Encyclopedia
The Pohnpei Starling also known as Pohnpei Mountain Starling or Ponape Mountain Starling, is an extremely rare or possibly extinct bird from the family of starling
s (Sturnidae). It is (or was) endemic to the island of Pohnpei
(Federated States of Micronesia
) in the Pacific Ocean
. It was called "sie" (pronounced see-ah) by the Pohnpei islanders. It was named after the Austrian ornithologist August von Pelzeln
(1825–1891).
ethnographer John Stanislaw Kubary
(1846–1896) and first described by German ornithologist Otto Finsch
in 1876. The holotype
which was deposited at the Godeffroy Museum in Hamburg
, Germany
for a while is now at the Museum Naturalis in Leiden, Netherlands
. It seems that this bird was rather common at the beginning of the 1930s. 60 specimens were obtained during the Whitney South Seas Expedition
led by William Coultas in 1930 and 1931. One specimen was shot by Lawrence P. Richards in 1948 who sent the skin to the Bishop Museum
in Honolulu, Hawaii
. In 1956 ornithologist Joe T. Marshall was the last western scientist who saw this bird alive. Marshall shot two specimens and sent the skins to the Smithsonian Institution
in Washington,D.C. Afterwards this bird was lost. In 1973 or 1974 it was apparently sighted at the Nantolemal Point but this unconfirmed. After several unconfirmed reports by Pohnpei islanders there were surveys in 1976, 1977, and 1983 which were unfortunately failed. In 1990 it was classified as extinct by the IUCN until ornithologist Donald W. Buden obtained a dead female at July 4, 1995 which was shot by a native guide at a herpetological expedition during 1994. Therefore the IUCN has reclassified it as critically endangered in 2000. In 2008 surveys produced 3 records, although these have not been fully documented. A seven day expedition in 2010 has failed to produce any sightings of the bird.
The reasons for its vanishing remained unknown. Competition with other bird species and the bird hunting have played certainly an important role and as with many bird species on islands the clutches were plundered by rats. Habitat loss might have played a minor role because even if 37 percent of the highland forests were cleared between 1975 and 1995 a large part of its habitat is still remain.
Starling
Starlings are small to medium-sized passerine birds in the family Sturnidae. The name "Sturnidae" comes from the Latin word for starling, sturnus. Many Asian species, particularly the larger ones, are called mynas, and many African species are known as glossy starlings because of their iridescent...
s (Sturnidae). It is (or was) endemic to the island of Pohnpei
Pohnpei
Not to be confused with Pompeii, the ancient city destroyed by Vesuvius in AD 79.Pohnpei "upon a stone altar " is the name of one of the four states in the Federated States of Micronesia , situated among the Senyavin Islands which are part of the larger Caroline Islands group...
(Federated States of Micronesia
Federated States of Micronesia
The Federated States of Micronesia or FSM is an independent, sovereign island nation, made up of four states from west to east: Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosrae. It comprises approximately 607 islands with c...
) in the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
. It was called "sie" (pronounced see-ah) by the Pohnpei islanders. It was named after the Austrian ornithologist August von Pelzeln
August von Pelzeln
August von Pelzeln was an Austrian ornithologist.August Edler Pelzeln was in charge of the mammal and bird collections at the Imperial Natural History Museum in Vienna...
(1825–1891).
Description
The Pohnpei Starling reached a size of 19 cm. It was generally dark with sooty brown upperparts. The head was darker and exhibit a black forehead and black lores. The wings, the rump, the uppertail coverts and the tail were paler and were showing a stronger brown colouring at the head. The underparts were washed olive brown. The bill and the feet were black. The iris was brown. The juveniles were looking similar to the adults except for the upperparts of their plumage which had exhibit a paler brown. Its call consists of a bell-like shrill see-ay.Habitat
The Pohnpei Starling was native to dark damply mountain forests in altitudes above 425 m asl but it was also observed in plantages and in lower altitudes. The last specimen was shot in an altitude of 750 m asl.Ecology and Diet
It was a non-migratory bird and it was defended its territory by pairs. It foraged diurnial and its diet consisted of flowers, berries and seeds of evergreen bushes and trees as well as insects and maggots. Reports that it has built its nest in tree holes are unconfirmed.Threats and Extinction
The Pohnpei Starling was discovered by the PolishPoles
thumb|right|180px|The state flag of [[Poland]] as used by Polish government and diplomatic authoritiesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a nation indigenous to Poland. They are united by the Polish language, which belongs to the historical Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages of Central Europe...
ethnographer John Stanislaw Kubary
John Stanislaw Kubary
John Stanislaw Kubary , also stated as Jan Stanislaw Kubary, Jan Kubary, or Johann Stanislaus Kubary, was a Polish naturalist and ethnographer....
(1846–1896) and first described by German ornithologist Otto Finsch
Otto Finsch
Friedrich Hermann Otto Finsch was a German ethnographer, naturalist and colonial explorer.-Biography:...
in 1876. The holotype
Holotype
A holotype is a single physical example of an organism, known to have been used when the species was formally described. It is either the single such physical example or one of several such, but explicitly designated as the holotype...
which was deposited at the Godeffroy Museum in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
for a while is now at the Museum Naturalis in Leiden, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. It seems that this bird was rather common at the beginning of the 1930s. 60 specimens were obtained during the Whitney South Seas Expedition
Whitney South Seas Expedition
The Whitney South Seas Expedition to collect bird specimens for the American Museum of Natural History , under the initial leadership of Rollo Beck, was instigated by Dr Leonard C. Sanford and financed by Harry Payne Whitney, a thoroughbred horse-breeder and philanthropist.Beck, an expert bird...
led by William Coultas in 1930 and 1931. One specimen was shot by Lawrence P. Richards in 1948 who sent the skin to the Bishop Museum
Bishop Museum
The Bishop Museum , is a museum of history and science in the historic Kalihi district of Honolulu on the Hawaiian island of O'ahu...
in Honolulu, Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. In 1956 ornithologist Joe T. Marshall was the last western scientist who saw this bird alive. Marshall shot two specimens and sent the skins to the Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
in Washington,D.C. Afterwards this bird was lost. In 1973 or 1974 it was apparently sighted at the Nantolemal Point but this unconfirmed. After several unconfirmed reports by Pohnpei islanders there were surveys in 1976, 1977, and 1983 which were unfortunately failed. In 1990 it was classified as extinct by the IUCN until ornithologist Donald W. Buden obtained a dead female at July 4, 1995 which was shot by a native guide at a herpetological expedition during 1994. Therefore the IUCN has reclassified it as critically endangered in 2000. In 2008 surveys produced 3 records, although these have not been fully documented. A seven day expedition in 2010 has failed to produce any sightings of the bird.
The reasons for its vanishing remained unknown. Competition with other bird species and the bird hunting have played certainly an important role and as with many bird species on islands the clutches were plundered by rats. Habitat loss might have played a minor role because even if 37 percent of the highland forests were cleared between 1975 and 1995 a large part of its habitat is still remain.
External links
- Rediscovery of the Pohnpei Mountain Starling (Aplonis Pelzelni) (engl.)
- Naturalis - Extinct bird: Aplonis pelzelni (Pohnpei Starling) (engl.)
- Taxonomy - Ponape Mountain Starling (engl.)
- BirdLife Species Factsheet
- 3D view of specimen RMNH 110.031 at NaturalisNaturalisNaturalis is the national natural history museum of the Netherlands, based in Leiden. It originated from the merger of the Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie and the Rijksmuseum van Geologie en Mineralogie in 1984. In 1986 it was decided that the museum had to become a public museum and a new...
, Leiden (requires QuickTimeQuickTimeQuickTime is an extensible proprietary multimedia framework developed by Apple Inc., capable of handling various formats of digital video, picture, sound, panoramic images, and interactivity. The classic version of QuickTime is available for Windows XP and later, as well as Mac OS X Leopard and...
browser plugin).