Réunion night heron facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Réunion night heron |
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|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Nycticorax
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| Species: |
duboisi
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| Location of Réunion (encircled) | |
| Synonyms | |
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Ardea duboisi Rothschild, 1907 |
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The Réunion night heron (Nycticorax duboisi) was a type of heron that used to live on the island of Réunion. This island is part of the Mascarene Islands. Sadly, this bird is now extinct, meaning it no longer exists anywhere in the world.
For a long time, we only knew about this bird from a single description. A person named Dubois wrote about it in 1674. He described it as a large bird, about the size of a chicken, but very plump.
Dubois said the bird had gray feathers with white spots. Its neck and beak looked like a heron's, and its feet were green, similar to a turkey's. He also noted that this bird ate fish.
Later, in the late 1900s, scientists found subfossil bones of the bird. At first, they thought it was a new species because they doubted Dubois's original description. However, they later realized it was indeed the Réunion night heron. Only the scientific group (genus) it was first placed in was incorrect.
The Réunion night heron was the biggest Nycticorax bird in the Mascarene Islands. It was even larger than the nankeen night heron, which lives today. Unlike its relatives from Mauritius and Rodrigues, this heron was not built for walking on land. Its wings were strong, suggesting it was a good flyer, and its legs were not made for chasing prey on foot. This matches Dubois's note that the birds lived on fish.
When Did It Disappear?
Out of all the old reports about herons on Réunion, only Dubois's description seems to be about this specific species. Another explorer, Jean Feuilley, did not mention these birds in 1705. Later, in the late 1700s, people started talking about herons on Réunion again. But by then, the striated heron was the only species found, and it was "very rare."
This suggests that the Réunion night heron likely became extinct around the year 1700. It's a bit of a mystery why it disappeared. There aren't clear reasons like major habitat destruction or many new predators that would have affected it greatly. It also doesn't seem to have been a main target for hunters. Because of this, some people think it might have survived for a bit longer than 1700.
