Rodrigues Night Heron
Encyclopedia
The Rodrigues Night Heron (Nycticorax megacephalus) is an extinct species of heron
formerly occurring on the Mascarene island of Rodrigues
.
It is known from subfossil
bones and the 1708 description of Leguat
as well as the 1726 report of Julien Tafforet. Both authors agree that this bittern
-like bird, the size of a fat chicken
or small egret
, was mainly terrestrial, unwary, and only flew when chased, although even in that case they initially tried to escape by running. They apparently laid greenish eggs
; one of their favorite foods was gecko
s, probably the Rodrigues day gecko
as the other local species, the Rodrigues giant day gecko
was nearly as long as the bird itself (both gecko species are nowadays extinct too). Analysis of the fossil remains concluded that the bill
of the species was very strong (hence the name megacephalus - "large-headed") and that it was evolving towards flightlessness.
mentions in his report that no "bitterns" could be found on Rodrigues anymore in 1761.
Heron
The herons are long-legged freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae. There are 64 recognised species in this family. Some are called "egrets" or "bitterns" instead of "heron"....
formerly occurring on the Mascarene island of Rodrigues
Rodrigues (island)
Rodrigues , sometimes spelled Rodriguez but named after the Portuguese explorer Diogo Rodrigues, is the smallest of the Mascarene Islands and a dependency of Mauritius...
.
It is known from subfossil
Subfossil
Subfossil refers to remains whose fossilization process is not complete, either for lack of time or because the conditions in which they were buried were not optimal for fossilization....
bones and the 1708 description of Leguat
François Leguat
François Leguat was a French explorer and naturalist.Leguat was a French Huguenot originating from the Province of Bresse, now part of the department of Ain, who fled to Holland in 1689 after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685...
as well as the 1726 report of Julien Tafforet. Both authors agree that this bittern
Bittern
Bitterns are a classification of birds in the heron family, Ardeidae, a family of wading birds. Species named bitterns tend to be the shorter-necked, often more secretive members of this family...
-like bird, the size of a fat chicken
Chicken
The chicken is a domesticated fowl, a subspecies of the Red Junglefowl. As one of the most common and widespread domestic animals, and with a population of more than 24 billion in 2003, there are more chickens in the world than any other species of bird...
or small egret
Egret
An egret is any of several herons, most of which are white or buff, and several of which develop fine plumes during the breeding season. Many egrets are members of the genera Egretta or Ardea which contain other species named as herons rather than egrets...
, was mainly terrestrial, unwary, and only flew when chased, although even in that case they initially tried to escape by running. They apparently laid greenish eggs
Bird egg
Bird eggs are laid by females and incubated for a time that varies according to the species; a single young hatches from each egg. Average clutch sizes range from one to about 17...
; one of their favorite foods was gecko
Gecko
Geckos are lizards belonging to the infraorder Gekkota, found in warm climates throughout the world. They range from 1.6 cm to 60 cm....
s, probably the Rodrigues day gecko
Rodrigues day gecko
Rodrigues day gecko is a now extinct diurnal species of geckos. It lived on the island of Rodrigues and typically inhabited forests and dwelt in trees...
as the other local species, the Rodrigues giant day gecko
Rodrigues giant day gecko
Rodrigues giant day gecko was an extinct diurnal species of gecko. It lived on the island of Rodrigues and surrounding islands and typically dwelt on trees. The Rodrigues giant day gecko fed on insects and nectar.-Description:...
was nearly as long as the bird itself (both gecko species are nowadays extinct too). Analysis of the fossil remains concluded that the bill
Beak
The beak, bill or rostrum is an external anatomical structure of birds which is used for eating and for grooming, manipulating objects, killing prey, fighting, probing for food, courtship and feeding young...
of the species was very strong (hence the name megacephalus - "large-headed") and that it was evolving towards flightlessness.
Extinction
The bird appears to have been hunted to extinction in the mid-18th century. PingréAlexandre Guy Pingré
Alexandre Guy Pingré was a French astronomer, priest, and naval geographer.He was born in Paris, France, and was educated at Senlis, where he became professor of theology in 1735. At an early age he had developed an interest in astronomy, and in 1749 he was appointed professor of astronomy at the...
mentions in his report that no "bitterns" could be found on Rodrigues anymore in 1761.