Bonin Thrush
Encyclopedia
The Bonin Thrush, Bonin Islands Thrush or Kittlitz's Thrush (Zoothera terrestris) is sometimes separated as the only species of the genus Cichlopasser. It is an extinct species of Asian thrush
. The only place where this bird ever was found is Chichi-jima
in the Ogasawara Islands
; it might theoretically have also occurred on Anijima and Otōtojima, but this is not borne out by observations or specimens. The species was only once observed by a naturalist, its discoverer Heinrich von Kittlitz
. He encountered the thrush in the coastal woods where it usually kept to the ground; it may have been ground-nesting. The only specimens ever taken are in the Naturalis
in Leiden (1), the Naturhistorisches Museum
in Vienna
(1), the Senckenbergmuseum
in Frankfurt
(1) and in the Zoological Museum, St. Petersburg
(2).
Pacific expedition which called at Chichi-jima in 1827. It was only found the following year, when Kittlitz took the 5 specimens; he considered them common enough around the landing site. It is unknown why Beechey's expedition, which landed at the same location, did not find them.
Following the suggestion of two shipwrecked sailors (who were picked up by Beechey in 1827) that the island would make a good stopover station for whaler
s, settlement was begun in 1830. When the Perry
's first mission to Japan
called at Chichi-jima in 1853, they did not find the bird again, just as naturalist William Stimpson
of the Rodgers
-Ringgold
North Pacific Exploring and Surveying Expedition
in the following year. Instead, they encountered rats and feral goats, sheep, dogs and cats (feral pigs were already found by Kittlitz and may have been left by Beechey to provision possible future castaways). Just like the Bonin Grosbeak
, the Bonin Thrush probably succumbed soon after 1830 to predation by the introduced mammals and habitat destruction.
Asian thrush
The Asian thrushes are medium-sized mostly insectivorous or omnivorous birds in the genus Zoothera of the thrush family Turdidae.Two New World species traditionally regarded as Zoothera; actually belong elsewhere in the thrush family...
. The only place where this bird ever was found is Chichi-jima
Chichi-jima
, formerly known as Peel Island and in the 19th century known to the English as part of the Bonin Islands, is the largest island in the Ogasawara archipelago. Chichi-jima is approximately 150 miles north of Iwo Jima. The island is within the political boundaries of Ogasawara Town, Ogasawara...
in the Ogasawara Islands
Ogasawara Islands
The Bonin Islands, known in Japan as the are an archipelago of over 30 subtropical and tropical islands, some directly south of Tokyo, Japan. Administratively, they are part of Ogasawara Municipality of Ogasawara Subprefecture, Tokyo...
; it might theoretically have also occurred on Anijima and Otōtojima, but this is not borne out by observations or specimens. The species was only once observed by a naturalist, its discoverer Heinrich von Kittlitz
Heinrich von Kittlitz
Friedrich Heinrich Freiherr von Kittlitz was a German artist, naval officer, explorer and naturalist. He was a descendant of a family of old Prussian nobility ....
. He encountered the thrush in the coastal woods where it usually kept to the ground; it may have been ground-nesting. The only specimens ever taken are in the Naturalis
Naturalis
Naturalis is the national natural history museum of the Netherlands, based in Leiden. It originated from the merger of the Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie and the Rijksmuseum van Geologie en Mineralogie in 1984. In 1986 it was decided that the museum had to become a public museum and a new...
in Leiden (1), the Naturhistorisches Museum
Naturhistorisches Museum
The Naturhistorisches Museum Wien or NHMW is a large museum located in Vienna, Austria.The collections displayed cover , and the museum has a website providing an overview as a video virtual tour....
in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
(1), the Senckenbergmuseum
Senckenberg Museum
The Naturmuseum Senckenberg in Frankfurt is the second largest museum of natural history in Germany. It is particularly popular with children, who enjoy the extensive collection of dinosaur skeletons: Senckenberg boasts the largest exhibition of large dinosaurs in Europe. One particular treasure is...
in Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
(1) and in the Zoological Museum, St. Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
(2).
Extinction
Interestingly, the Bonin Thrush is not among the birds observed or collected by the BeecheyFrederick William Beechey
Frederick William Beechey was an English naval officer and geographer. He was the son of Sir William Beechey, RA., and was born in London.-Career:...
Pacific expedition which called at Chichi-jima in 1827. It was only found the following year, when Kittlitz took the 5 specimens; he considered them common enough around the landing site. It is unknown why Beechey's expedition, which landed at the same location, did not find them.
Following the suggestion of two shipwrecked sailors (who were picked up by Beechey in 1827) that the island would make a good stopover station for whaler
Whaler
A whaler is a specialized ship, designed for whaling, the catching and/or processing of whales. The former included the whale catcher, a steam or diesel-driven vessel with a harpoon gun mounted at its bows. The latter included such vessels as the sail or steam-driven whaleship of the 16th to early...
s, settlement was begun in 1830. When the Perry
Matthew Perry (naval officer)
Matthew Calbraith Perry was the Commodore of the U.S. Navy and served commanding a number of US naval ships. He served several wars, most notably in the Mexican-American War and the War of 1812. He played a leading role in the opening of Japan to the West with the Convention of Kanagawa in 1854...
's first mission to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
called at Chichi-jima in 1853, they did not find the bird again, just as naturalist William Stimpson
William Stimpson
William Stimpson was a noted American scientist.- Biography :Stimpson was born in Boston, Massachusetts to Herbert Hathorne Stimpson and Mary Ann Devereau Brewer. The Stimpsons were of the old colonial and Revolutionary stock of Massachusetts, the earliest known member of the family being James...
of the Rodgers
John Rodgers (naval officer, Civil War)
John Rodgers was an admiral in the United States Navy.-Early life and career:Rodgers, a son of Commodore John Rodgers, was born near Havre de Grace, Maryland. He received his appointment as a Midshipman in the Navy on 18 April 1828...
-Ringgold
Cadwalader Ringgold
Cadwalader Ringgold was an officer in the United States Navy who served in the United States Exploring Expedition, later headed an expedition to the Northwest and, after initially retiring, returned to service during the Civil War....
North Pacific Exploring and Surveying Expedition
North Pacific Exploring and Surveying Expedition
The North Pacific Exploring and Surveying Expedition, also known as the Rodgers-Ringgold Expedition was a United States scientific and exploring project from 1853 to 1856....
in the following year. Instead, they encountered rats and feral goats, sheep, dogs and cats (feral pigs were already found by Kittlitz and may have been left by Beechey to provision possible future castaways). Just like the Bonin Grosbeak
Bonin Grosbeak
The Bonin Grosbeak or Bonin Islands Grosbeak is an extinct finch, the only species of the genus Chaunoproctus. It is one of the diverse bird taxa that are vernacularly called "grosbeaks", but it is not closely related to the grosbeaks sensu stricto. It was a retiring, although not shy bird, and...
, the Bonin Thrush probably succumbed soon after 1830 to predation by the introduced mammals and habitat destruction.
External links
- 3D view of specimen RMNH 89298 at NaturalisNaturalisNaturalis is the national natural history museum of the Netherlands, based in Leiden. It originated from the merger of the Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie and the Rijksmuseum van Geologie en Mineralogie in 1984. In 1986 it was decided that the museum had to become a public museum and a new...
, Leiden (requires QuickTimeQuickTimeQuickTime is an extensible proprietary multimedia framework developed by Apple Inc., capable of handling various formats of digital video, picture, sound, panoramic images, and interactivity. The classic version of QuickTime is available for Windows XP and later, as well as Mac OS X Leopard and...
browser plugin).