Mangareva reed warbler facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mangareva reed warbler |
|
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Acrocephalus (bird)
|
| Species: |
astrolabii
|
The Mangareva reed warbler (also called the Astrolabe reed warbler) was a small songbird. It lived on Mangareva in the Gambier Islands. Sadly, this bird is now extinct, meaning it no longer exists. Scientists only found two examples of this bird. It likely disappeared in the mid-1800s. This happened because its forest home was cut down. Also, new animals brought to the island hunted them.
Contents
What Did the Mangareva Reed Warbler Look Like?
This bird was about 17 centimeters (7 inches) long. That's about the length of a pencil. Its back was a dull grey-olive color. It had a light yellowish stripe above its eye. Its belly and chest were also pale yellow. A dark line went through its eye.
The top part of its beak was dark. The bottom part was a light tan color. Its eyes were dark brown. Its legs and feet were grey. Female birds were a little smaller than males.
This warbler looked a lot like the Guam reed warbler, which is also extinct. But the Mangareva warbler was bigger. It had a shorter beak. Its feet and claws were very strong and thick.
How Was This Bird Discovered?
Two examples of the Mangareva reed warbler were collected a long time ago. A French explorer named Jules Dumont d'Urville found them. He traveled the South Pacific on his ship, the Astrolabe. This was between 1826 and 1829. He also sailed on another ship, the Zélée, from 1838 to 1839.
For over 150 years, no one really studied these birds. Then, in 1978, two scientists, Holyoak and Thibault, looked at them. They realized these birds were a brand new species!
At first, there was some confusion about where the birds came from. One bird was marked as "Mangereva" (Mangareva). The other was marked "Nouhera" (Nuku Hiva). Nuku Hiva is very far from Mangareva. Scientists thought the "Nouhera" label might be a mistake. They wondered if the bird actually came from an island called Yap.
Where Did the Mangareva Reed Warbler Really Live?
In 2011, new studies helped solve the mystery. Scientists looked at the bird's mitochondrial DNA. They also studied its body shape. These tests showed that the Mangareva reed warbler was closely related to the Northern Marquesan reed warbler. This bird lives in the Marquesas Islands, which are near the Gambier Islands.
This discovery made it very likely that the bird truly came from the Gambier Islands. Researchers also found old travel stories. These stories described warblers in the Gambier Islands. There was even evidence that the local name for reed warblers, komako, was used there in 1934. This all pointed to Mangareva as its true home.
Why Did the Mangareva Reed Warbler Go Extinct?
The Mangareva reed warbler likely disappeared in the mid-1800s. Its extinction was probably caused by human activities. People cut down many trees on the island. This destroyed the warbler's forest home.
Also, new animals were brought to the island. These were called invasive species. They were predators, meaning they hunted other animals. These new predators likely ate the warblers or their eggs. With their homes gone and new dangers, the Mangareva reed warbler could not survive.
