Rodrigues parrot

The Rodrigues parrot or Leguat's parrot (Necropsittacus

Rodrigues parrot
rodricanus) is an extinct species of parrot that was endemic to
the Mascarene island of Rodrigues in the Indian Ocean, east of
Madagascar. It is unclear to which other species it is most
closely related, but it is classified as a member of the tribe
Psittaculini, along with other Mascarene parrots. The
Rodrigues parrot bore similarities to the broad-billed parrot of
Mauritius, and may have been related. Two additional species
have been assigned to its genus (N. francicus and N.
Subfossil skull and limb bones, 1879
borbonicus), based on descriptions of parrots from the other
Mascarene islands, but their identities and validity have been Conservation status
debated.

The Rodrigues parrot was green, and had a proportionally large

head and beak and a long tail. Its exact size is unknown, but it Extinct (soon after 1761) (IUCN
may have been around 50 cm (20 in) long. It was the largest
3.1)[1]
parrot on Rodrigues, and it had the largest head of any
Mascarene parrot. It may have looked similar to the great-billed Scientific classification
parrot. By the time it was discovered, it frequented and nested Kingdom: Animalia
on islets off southern Rodrigues, where introduced rats were
absent, and fed on the seeds of the shrub Fernelia buxifolia. Phylum: Chordata
The species is known from subfossil bones and from mentions Class: Aves
in contemporary accounts. It was last mentioned in 1761, and
Order: Psittaciformes
probably became extinct soon after, perhaps due to a
combination of predation by rats, deforestation, and hunting by Family: Psittaculidae
humans. Genus: Necropsittacus
Milne-Edwards, 1874

Species: †N. rodricanus

Contents
Binomial name
Taxonomy
†Necropsittacus rodricanus
Evolution
(Milne-Edwards, 1867)
Hypothetical extinct relatives
Description
Behaviour and ecology
Extinction
References
External links Location of Rodrigues

Synonyms
Taxonomy Psittacus rodricanus Milne-
Edwards, 1867
Birds thought to be the
Rodrigues parrot were first Psittacus rodericanus Milne-
mentioned by François Leguat Edwards, 1873
in his 1708 memoir, A New Necropsittacus rodericanus
Voyage to the East Indies.
Newton, 1875
Leguat was the leader of a
group of nine French Huguenot
refugees who colonised Rodrigues between 1691 and 1693 after they
were marooned there. Subsequent accounts were by Julien Tafforet, who
Holotype beak, 1873
was marooned on the island in 1726, in his Relation de l'Île Rodrigue,
and then by the French mathematician Alexandre Pingré, who travelled
to Rodrigues to view the 1761 transit of Venus.[2][3][4]

The Rodrigues parrot was scientifically described and named as Psittacus rodricanus in 1867 by the
French ornithologist Alphonse Milne-Edwards, based on a subfossil partial beak.[5] The specific name
refers to Rodrigues, which is itself named after the discoverer of the island, the Portuguese navigator
Diogo Rodrigues.[6] Milne-Edwards corrected the spelling of the specific name to rodericanus in 1873
(in a compilation of his articles about extinct birds), a spelling which was used in the literature
henceforward, but it was changed back to rodricanus by the IOC World Bird List in 2014.[7][8] Milne-
Edwards moved the species to its own genus Necropsittacus in 1874; the name is derived from the Greek
words necros, which means dead, and psittakos, parrot, in reference to the bird being extinct. [6][9]

The current whereabouts of the holotype beak are unknown. It may be specimen UMZC 575, a rostrum
that was sent from Milne-Edwards to the English zoologist Alfred Newton after 1880, which matches the
drawing and description in Milne-Edwards's paper, but this cannot be confirmed.[6] In 1893 the
ornithologists Edward Newton (brother of Alfred) and Hans Gadow described more fossils of the
Rodrigues parrot, including a skull and limb bones.[10] Remains of the species are scarce, but subfossils
have been discovered in caves on the Plaine Corail and in Caverne Tortue.[11]

In the footnotes to his 1873 compilation, Milne-Edwards correlated the subfossil species with parrots
mentioned by Leguat.[7] In 1875, A. Newton analysed Tafforet's then newly rediscovered account, and
identified a description of the Rodrigues parrot.[12] In a footnote in an 1891 edition of Leguat's memoir,
the English writer Samuel Pasfield Oliver doubted that the parrots mentioned were the Rodrigues parrot,
due to their smaller size, and suggested they may have been Newton's parakeet (Psittacula exsul).[3] As
Leguat mentioned both green and blue parrots in the same sentence, the English palaeontologist Julian
Hume suggested in 2007 that these could either be interpreted as references to both the Rodrigues parrot
and Newton's parakeet, or as two colour morphs of the latter.[6]

Evolution
Many endemic Mascarene birds, including the dodo (Raphus cucullatus), are derived from South Asian
ancestors, and Hume has proposed that this may be the case for all the parrots there as well. Sea levels
were lower during the Pleistocene, so it was possible for species to colonise some of the then less isolated
islands.[2] Although most extinct parrot species of the Mascarenes are poorly known, subfossil remains
show that they shared features such as enlarged heads and jaws, reduced pectoral bones, and robust leg
bones.[6] Newton and Gadow found the Rodrigues parrot to be closely related to the broad-billed parrot
(Lophopsittacus mauritianus) due to their large jaws and other osteological features, but were unable to
determine whether they both belonged in the same genus, since a head-crest was only known from the
latter.[10] The British ornithologist Graham S. Cowles instead found their skulls too dissimilar for them to
be close relatives in 1987.[13]

Hume has suggested that the Mascarene parrots have a common origin in the radiation of the tribe
Psittaculini, basing this theory on morphological features and the fact that Psittacula parrots have
managed to colonise many isolated islands in the Indian Ocean.[6] The Psittaculini may have invaded the
area several times, as many of the species were so specialised that they may have evolved significantly
on hotspot islands before the Mascarenes emerged from the sea.[2]

Hypothetical extinct relatives

1907 illustration by Henrik Grönvold,
showing the colouration of the
hypothetical species N. borbonicus
combined with the body-plan of the
Rodrigues parrot
The British zoologist Walther Rothschild assigned two
hypothetical parrot species from the other Mascarene Islands to
the genus Necropsittacus; N. francicus in 1905 and N. borbonicus
in 1907. Rothschild gave the original description of N. francicus
as "head and tail fiery red, rest of body and tail green", and stated
it was based on descriptions from voyages to Mauritius in the
17th and early 18th century. N. borbonicus (named for Bourbon,
the original name of Réunion) was based on a single account by
the French traveller Sieur Dubois, who mentioned "green parrots
of the same size [presumably as the Réunion parakeet (Psittacula
eques eques)] with head, upper parts of the wings, and tail the
colour of fire" on Réunion. Rothschild considered it to belong to
Necropsittacus since Dubois compared it with Psittacula species,
which are related.[6][14][15][16]

The two assigned Necropsittacus species have since become the source of much taxonomic confusion,
and their identities have been debated. N. borbonicus later received common names such as Réunion red
and green parakeet or Réunion parrot, and N. francicus has been called the Mauritian parrot. The
Japanese ornithologist Masauji Hachisuka recognised N. borbonicus in 1953, and published a restoration
of it with the colouration described by Dubois and the body-plan of the Rodrigues parrot. He did not find
the naming of N. francicus to have been necessary, but expressed hope more evidence would be found. In
1967, the American ornithologist James Greenway suggested that N. borbonicus may have been an
escaped pet lory seen by Dubois, since 16th century Dutch paintings show the somewhat similar East
Indian chattering lory (Lorius garrulus), presumably in captivity. However, Greenway was unable to find
any references that matched those Rothschild had given for N. francicus.[6][17][18]

In 1987, the British ecologist Anthony S. Cheke found the described colour-pattern of N. borbonicus
remiscent of Psittacula parrots, but considered N. francicus to be based on confused reports.[4] In 2001
the British writer Errol Fuller suggested Dubois's account of N. borbonicus could either have referred to
an otherwise unrecorded species or have been misleading, and found N. francicus to be "one of the most
dubious of all hypothetical species".[16] In 2007, Hume suggested that Rothschild had associated N.
borbonicus with the Rodrigues parrot because he had mistakenly incorporated Dubois's account into his
description of the latter; he stated the Rodrigues parrot also had red plumage (though it was all-green),
and had been mentioned by Dubois (who never visited Rodrigues). Rothschild also attributed the sighting
of N. francicus to Dubois, repeating the colour-pattern he had described earlier for the Rodrigues parrot,
and this led Hume to conclude that the name N. francicus was based solely on "the muddled imagination
of Lord Rothschild". Hume added that if Dubois's description of N. borbonicus was based on a parrot
endemic to Réunion, it may have been derived from the Alexandrine parakeet (Psittacula eupatria),
which has a similar colouration, apart from the red tail.[6][14]

Description
The Rodrigues parrot was described as being the largest parrot species on
the island, with a big head and a long tail. Its plumage was described as
being of uniform green colouration.[17] Its skull was flat and depressed
compared to those of most other parrots, but similar to the genus Ara.
The skull was 50 mm (2.0 in) long without the beak, 38 mm (1.5 in)
wide, and 24 mm (0.94 in) deep. The coracoid (part of the shoulder) was
35 mm (1.4 in) long, the humerus (upper-arm bone) 53 mm (2.1 in), the
ulna (lower-arm bone) 57 mm (2.2 in), the femur (thigh-bone) 49 mm
(1.9 in), the tibia (lower-leg bone) 63 mm (2.5 in), and the metatarsus
(foot bone) 22 mm (0.87 in).[19] Its exact body length is unknown, but it
may have been around 50 cm (20 in), comparable to the size of a large
cockatoo.[16] Its tibia was 32% smaller than that of a female broad-billed
parrot, yet the pectoral bones were of similar size, and proportionally its Life restoration of two
head was the largest of any Mascarene species of parrot.[6] Rodrigues parrots

The Rodrigues parrot was similar in skeletal structure to the parrot genera
Tanygnathus and Psittacula. The pectoral and pelvic bones were similar in size to those of the New
Zealand kaka (Nestor meridionalis), and it may have looked like the great-billed parrot (Tanygnathus
megalorynchos) in life, but with a larger head and tail. It differed from other Mascarene parrots in several
skeletal features, including having nostrils that faced upwards instead of forwards. No features of the
skull suggest it had a crest like the broad-billed parrot, and there is not enough fossil evidence to
determine whether it had pronounced sexual dimorphism.[6] There are intermediate specimens between
the longest and shortest examples of the known skeletal elements, which indicates there were no distinct
size groups.[19]

Behaviour and ecology

Tafforet's 1726 description is the only detailed account of the
Rodrigues parrot in life:

The largest are larger than a pigeon, and have a tail

very long, the head large as well as the beak. They
mostly come on the islets which are to the south of
the island, where they eat a small black seed, which
produces a small shrub whose leaves have the smell
The Rodrigues parrot may have
of the orange tree, and come to the mainland to drink
resembled the great-billed parrot
water ... they have their plumage green.[6]
Tafforet also mentioned that the parrots ate the seeds of the shrub Fernelia buxifolia ("bois de buis"),
which is endangered today, but was common all over Rodrigues and nearby islets during his visit. Due to
a large population of introduced rats on Rodrigues, the parrots, the Rodrigues starling (Necropsar
rodericanus), and the Rodrigues pigeon (Nesoenas rodericanus), frequented and nested on offshore
islets, where the rats were absent.[6]

Many of the other endemic species of Rodrigues became extinct after the arrival of humans, so the
ecosystem of the island is heavily damaged. Before humans arrived, forests covered the island entirely,
but very little remains today due to deforestation. The Rodrigues parrot lived alongside other recently
extinct birds such as the Rodrigues solitaire (Pezophaps solitaria), the Rodrigues rail (Erythromachus
leguati), Newton's parakeet, the Rodrigues starling, the Rodrigues owl (Mascarenotus murivorus), the
Rodrigues night heron (Nycticorax megacephalus), and the Rodrigues pigeon. Extinct reptiles include the
domed Rodrigues giant tortoise (Cylindraspis peltastes), the saddle-backed Rodrigues giant tortoise
(Cylindraspis vosmaeri), and the Rodrigues day gecko (Phelsuma edwardnewtoni).[2]

Extinction
Of the eight or so parrot species endemic to the Mascarenes, only
the echo parakeet (Psittacula eques echo) of Mauritius has
survived. The others were likely all made extinct by a
combination of excessive hunting and deforestation by humans.
Like mainland Rodrigues, the offshore islets were eventually
infested by rats, which is believed to have caused the demise of
the Rodrigues parrot and other birds there.[6] The rats probably
preyed on their eggs and chicks.[17] Pingré indicated that local
species were popular game, and found that the Rodrigues parrot Leguat's map of pristine Rodrigues;
was rare: his settlement is in the northeast

The perruche [Newton's parakeet] seemed to me

much more delicate [than the flying-fox]. I would
not have missed any game from France if this one
had been commoner in Rodrigues; but it begins to
become rare. There are even fewer perroquets
[Rodrigues parrots], although there were once a big
enough quantity according to François Leguat;
indeed a little islet south of Rodrigues still retains
the name Isle of Parrots [Isle Pierrot].[6]

Pingré also reported that the island was becoming deforested by tortoise hunters who set fires to clear
vegetation. Along with direct hunting of the parrots, this likely led to a reduction in the population of
Rodrigues parrots. Pingré's 1761 account is the last known mention of the species, and it probably
became extinct soon after.[6]

References
1. BirdLife International (2016). "Necropsittacus rodricanus" (https://www.iucnredlist.org/specie
s/22728851/94998888). IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN. 2016:
e.T22728851A94998888. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
 2. Cheke, A. S.; Hume, J. P. (2008). Lost Land of the Dodo: an Ecological History of Mauritius,
Réunion & Rodrigues. New Haven and London: T. & A. D. Poyser. pp. 49–73, 181.
ISBN 978-0-7136-6544-4.
3. Leguat, F. (1891). Pasfield Oliver, S. (ed.). The voyage of François Leguat of Bresse, to
Rodriguez, Mauritius, Java, and the Cape of Good Hope (https://archive.org/stream/voyagef
ranoisle01missgoog#page/n200/mode/1up). Volume 1. London: Hakluyt Society. pp. 84–85.
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anoisle01missgoog#page/n200/mode/1up) from the original on 2016-04-11. Retrieved
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4. Cheke, A. S. (1987). "An ecological history of the Mascarene Islands, with particular
reference to extinctions and introductions of land vertebrates". In Diamond, A. W. (ed.).
Studies of Mascarene Island Birds. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 5–89.
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3). ISBN 978-0-521-11331-1.
5. Milne-Edwards, A. (1867). "Une Psittacien fossile de l'Île Rodrigue" (https://www.biodiversity
library.org/item/92541#page/153/mode/1up). Annales des Sciences Naturelles, Zoologie.
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philtrans07832595/07832595#page/n0/mode/2up). Philosophical Transactions of the Royal
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External links
Media related to Necropsittacus rodricanus at Wikimedia Commons
Data related to Psittaculini at Wikispecies

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