Auckland Islands shore plover facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Auckland Islands shore plover |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Phylum: | |
| Class: | |
| Order: | |
| Family: | |
| Genus: |
Thinornis
|
| Species: |
T. rossii
|
| Binomial name | |
| Thinornis rossii G. R. Gray, 1845
|
|
The Auckland Islands shore plover (Thinornis rossii), also known as Ross's plover, was a small bird that is now extinct. This means it no longer exists anywhere in the world. We only know about it from one single bird specimen.
This specimen is a preserved example of the bird. It was likely collected in the Auckland Islands in 1840. The crew of HMS Erebus found it. Today, this important specimen is kept at the British Natural History Museum.
The Mystery of Ross's Plover
For many years, scientists were not sure if the Auckland Islands shore plover was a unique species. They wondered if it was different from the regular shore plover.
What Was It?
A scientist named Charles Fleming thought about a few possibilities. He wondered if the single bird was:
- A young bird with unusual feathers.
- A bird with a rare dark coloring, called melanism.
- Or, a completely separate species of plover.
The Scientific Answer
Today, most scientists agree on what the Auckland Islands shore plover likely was. They believe it was actually a young shore plover (Thinornis novaeseelandiae). They also think the record of where it was found, the Auckland Islands, was probably a mistake.
Images for kids
-
Shore plover juvenile
-
Thinornis novaeseelandia egg, Auckland Museum collection
_(cropped).jpg)
See also
In Spanish: Chorlitejo de las Chatham para niños
