Scarlett's shearwater facts for kids

Scarlett's shearwater (Puffinus spelaeus) was a type of seabird that is now extinct. It belonged to the petrel family, which is a group of birds known for living mostly at sea. This bird was named after Ron Scarlett, a New Zealand palaeontologist (a scientist who studies fossils). He was the first to realize that some old bird bones found were from a new, unknown species.

Where Did Scarlett's Shearwater Live?

Scientists first described Scarlett's shearwater in 1994. They found its bones in 1991 in a cave near the Fox River on the South Island of New Zealand. More bones were found later, showing that this bird lived only in the western and northwestern parts of the South Island. This area includes places like Northwest Nelson and Buller. The bones found range from about 20,000 years old to less than 600 years old.

What Was Scarlett's Shearwater Like?

Scarlett's shearwater was closely related to two other types of shearwaters: the fluttering shearwater (Puffinus gavia) and Hutton's shearwater (Puffinus huttoni). Scientists used DNA evidence from old bones to learn that all three of these birds shared a common ancestor about 1 million years ago.

Scarlett's shearwater was smaller than its relatives. It weighed around 250 grams (about half a pound). It also had short wings, similar to the fluttering shearwater.

Why Did Scarlett's Shearwater Disappear?

Sadly, Scarlett's shearwater is no longer alive today. It likely became extinct because of two main reasons:

• Hunting by humans: People probably hunted these birds.
• New predators: The Polynesian rat (also called kiore or Rattus exulans) was brought to New Zealand by Polynesians about 750 years ago. These rats were new predators that hunted the birds or their eggs and chicks.

The combination of these two factors likely led to the disappearance of Scarlett's shearwater.

See also

In Spanish: Pardela de Scarlett para niños