Eastern Canary Islands chiffchaff facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Phylloscopus canariensis exsul |
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| Conservation status | |
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Extinct (1986?)
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Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Phylloscopidae |
| Genus: | Phylloscopus |
| Species: | |
| Subspecies: |
†P. c. exsul
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| Trinomial name | |
| Phylloscopus canariensis exsul (Hartert, 1907)
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| Synonyms | |
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Phylloscopus collybita exsul |
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The eastern Canary Islands chiffchaff (Phylloscopus canariensis exsul) was a small bird that lived only on the Lanzarote island in the Canary Islands, Spain. It might have also lived on Fuerteventura island. This bird is now extinct, meaning there are no more of them alive. It was a special type, or subspecies, of the Canary Islands chiffchaff.
This eastern chiffchaff looked a bit different from its relatives. It had a more reddish-brown back and shorter wings than the western Canary Islands chiffchaff. Scientists used to think these birds were just a type of common chiffchaff. But they later found out they were unique. They looked closely at their bodies, listened to their songs, and studied their DNA. These studies showed that the eastern Canary Islands chiffchaff was a distinct species.
This bird was already very rare when scientists first described it. This happened in the early 1900s. A few birds were found in the valleys near Haría on Lanzarote. They lived in areas with thick bushes, especially in high, cool places. After these first sightings, there were only a few possible, but unconfirmed, reports of the bird. No eastern Canary Islands chiffchaff was ever officially found on Fuerteventura. So, we are not sure if it ever lived there.
Scientists do not know exactly why this bird disappeared. Its extinction might be linked to changes in its habitat. People cleared many natural trees and bushes for farming in the high areas of the Famara mountains. This loss of its home likely played a big part in its disappearance.
See also
- List of extinct birds
- List of extinct animals
- List of extinct animals of Europe
- In Spanish: Mosquitero canario oriental para niños
