Lesser Antillean Macaw
Encyclopedia
The Lesser Antillean Macaw (Ara guadeloupensis) also known as Guadeloupe Macaw is a hypothetical extinct species
of macaw
species from the Antilles
island of Guadeloupe
. It was first described in detail by Jean-Baptiste Du Tertre
in 1654 and 1657 and later in 1742 by Jean Baptiste Labat. Du Tetre described it as follows:
This species was similar coloured like the Scarlet Macaw
, however, it was smaller with a red tail and yellow wing patches. The Lesser Antillean Macaw was endemic to the islands of Guadeloupe
and Martinique
which belong to the Lesser Antilles
.
Rothschild
distinguished two different macaws, the Mythical Macaw (Ara (sic!) purpurascens) and the Martinique Yellow and Blue Macaw (Anadorhynchus (sic!) martinicus) (Syn: Ara erythrura, Ara martinica). By 1760 the Lesser Antillean Macaw was extremely rare and shortly after it became extinct.
Today it is not possible to know if these species really did differ, or if they were introduced parrots of a species scientifically described native to the mainland of South America or another island.
Hypothetical extinct species
Several extinct species have been postulated, but owing to a lack of evidence they can only be regarded as hypothetical extinct species. They have caused confusion, as they may have been a separate species, a subspecies, or an introduced species.-Parrots:...
of macaw
Macaw
Macaws are small to large, often colourful New World parrots. Of the many different Psittacidae genera, six are classified as macaws: Ara, Anodorhynchus, Cyanopsitta, Primolius, Orthopsittaca, and Diopsittaca...
species from the Antilles
Antilles
The Antilles islands form the greater part of the West Indies in the Caribbean Sea. The Antilles are divided into two major groups: the "Greater Antilles" to the north and west, including the larger islands of Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola , and Puerto Rico; and the smaller "Lesser Antilles" on the...
island of Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe is an archipelago located in the Leeward Islands, in the Lesser Antilles, with a land area of 1,628 square kilometres and a population of 400,000. It is the first overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. As with the other overseas departments, Guadeloupe...
. It was first described in detail by Jean-Baptiste Du Tertre
Jean-Baptiste Du Tertre
Jean-Baptiste Du Tertre was a French blackfriar and botanist.In 1633 he joined the Dutch army where he worked in the headquarters in Maastricht...
in 1654 and 1657 and later in 1742 by Jean Baptiste Labat. Du Tetre described it as follows:
This species was similar coloured like the Scarlet Macaw
Scarlet Macaw
The Scarlet Macaw is a large, colorful macaw. It is native to humid evergreen forests in the American tropics. Range extends from extreme south-eastern Mexico to Amazonian Peru, Bolivia and Brazil in lowlands up to up to...
, however, it was smaller with a red tail and yellow wing patches. The Lesser Antillean Macaw was endemic to the islands of Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe is an archipelago located in the Leeward Islands, in the Lesser Antilles, with a land area of 1,628 square kilometres and a population of 400,000. It is the first overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. As with the other overseas departments, Guadeloupe...
and Martinique
Martinique
Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados...
which belong to the Lesser Antilles
Lesser Antilles
The Lesser Antilles are a long, partly volcanic island arc in the Western Hemisphere. Most of its islands form the eastern boundary of the Caribbean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean, with the remainder located in the southern Caribbean just north of South America...
.
Rothschild
Walter Rothschild, 2nd Baron Rothschild
Lionel Walter Rothschild, 2nd Baron Rothschild, Baron de Rothschild FRS , a scion of the Rothschild family, was a British banker, politician, and zoologist.-Biography:...
distinguished two different macaws, the Mythical Macaw (Ara (sic!) purpurascens) and the Martinique Yellow and Blue Macaw (Anadorhynchus (sic!) martinicus) (Syn: Ara erythrura, Ara martinica). By 1760 the Lesser Antillean Macaw was extremely rare and shortly after it became extinct.
Today it is not possible to know if these species really did differ, or if they were introduced parrots of a species scientifically described native to the mainland of South America or another island.