Kosrae Island Starling
Encyclopedia
The Kosrae Island Starling, also known as Kosrae Starling, and formerly as Kusaie Mountain Starling, (Aplonis corvina) is an extinct bird from the family of starling
s (Sturnidae). It was endemic to the montane forests on the island of Kosrae
which belong to the Caroline Islands
in the south-western Pacific.
in Russia
and two further in the Museum Naturalis in Leiden. In 1880 an expedition led by Otto Finsch
was no more able to find this bird. Another survey by the Whitney South Seas Expedition
of the American Museum of Natural History
in 1931 brought the evidence that this species was extinct. Its extinction was most likely caused by rat
s which could escape from whaling
vessels during the 19th century and became widespread on Kosrae.
Starling
Starlings are small to medium-sized passerine birds in the family Sturnidae. The name "Sturnidae" comes from the Latin word for starling, sturnus. Many Asian species, particularly the larger ones, are called mynas, and many African species are known as glossy starlings because of their iridescent...
s (Sturnidae). It was endemic to the montane forests on the island of Kosrae
Kosrae
Kosrae , formerly known as Kusaie, is an island in Micronesia. The State of Kosrae is one of four states of the Federated States of Micronesia, and includes, besides the island of Kosrae, about a dozen satellite islands and islets, the most significant of which is Lelu Island.-Geography:With a...
which belong to the Caroline Islands
Caroline Islands
The Caroline Islands are a widely scattered archipelago of tiny islands in the western Pacific Ocean, to the north of New Guinea. Politically they are divided between the Federated States of Micronesia in the eastern part of the group, and Palau at the extreme western end...
in the south-western Pacific.
Description
It reached a length between 20 and 25.4 centimetres. It was crow-like, glossy black and had at long curved bill as well as a long tail.Extinction
The Kosrae Island Starling is only known by five specimens which were obtained between December 1827 and January 1828 by the Kittlitz Expedition. Three skins can be seen in the Museum of Saint PetersburgSaint 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...
in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and two further in the Museum Naturalis in Leiden. In 1880 an expedition led by Otto Finsch
Otto Finsch
Friedrich Hermann Otto Finsch was a German ethnographer, naturalist and colonial explorer.-Biography:...
was no more able to find this bird. Another survey by the Whitney South Seas Expedition
Whitney South Seas Expedition
The Whitney South Seas Expedition to collect bird specimens for the American Museum of Natural History , under the initial leadership of Rollo Beck, was instigated by Dr Leonard C. Sanford and financed by Harry Payne Whitney, a thoroughbred horse-breeder and philanthropist.Beck, an expert bird...
of the American Museum of Natural History
American Museum of Natural History
The American Museum of Natural History , located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City, United States, is one of the largest and most celebrated museums in the world...
in 1931 brought the evidence that this species was extinct. Its extinction was most likely caused by rat
Rat
Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents of the superfamily Muroidea. "True rats" are members of the genus Rattus, the most important of which to humans are the black rat, Rattus rattus, and the brown rat, Rattus norvegicus...
s which could escape from whaling
Whaling
Whaling is the hunting of whales mainly for meat and oil. Its earliest forms date to at least 3000 BC. Various coastal communities have long histories of sustenance whaling and harvesting beached whales...
vessels during the 19th century and became widespread on Kosrae.
External links
- BirdLife Species Factsheet
- 3D view of specimens RMNH 90380 and RMNH 90381 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). - Biodiversity Heritage Library: Check-list of birds of the world. (1962)
- Biodiversity Heritage Library: University of Kansas publications, Museum of Natural History. (1951)
- Catalogue of Life: Annual Cheklist
- London Natural History Museum: A picture of five specimens