Extinct birds

609 Pages·2017·59.06 MB·English

by  Hume, Julian Pender

EXTINCT BIRDS
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EXTINCT BIRDS
Julian P. Hume
CHRISTOPHER HELM
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Christopher Helm
An imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
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BLOOMSBURY, CHRISTOPHER HELM and the Helm logo are trademarks
of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
First edition published 2012. This edition published 2017.
Text and illustrations © Julian P. Hume, 2017
Julian P. Hume has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs
and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as Author of this work.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form
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British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Library of Congress Cataloguing-in-Publication data has been applied for.
ISBN: hardback: 978-1-4729-3744-5
ePDF: 978-1-4729-3746-9
ePub: 978-1-4729-3745-2
2 4 6 8 10 9 7 5 3 1
Typeset by Mark Heslington Ltd, Scarborough, North Yorkshire
Printed and bound in Great Britain by CPI Group (UK) Ltd, Croydon CR0 4YY
Jacket art by Julian P. Hume.
A flock of Carolina Parakeets Conuropsis carolinensis feeds on cockle-bur in winter snows.
Inspired by a painting by John James Audubon in his Birds of America (1833).
To find out more about our authors and books visit www.bloomsbury.com. Here you will find extracts, author
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Contents
Foreword 7
Preface to the Second Edition 9
Acknowledgements 11
Introduction 13
Glossary 17
Extinct birds 19
Struthionidae (Ostriches) 19 Bucerotidae (Hornbills) 242
Casuariidae (Emus) 20 Picidae (Woodpeckers) 243
Apteryigidae (Kiwis) 25 Acanthisittidae (New Zealand wrens) 250
Aepyornithidae (Elephant birds) 26 Pittidae (Pittas) 255
Dinornithidae (Giant moas) 30 Furnariidae (Ovenbirds) 256
Emeidae (Lesser moas) 33 Grallaridae (Antpittas and ant-thrushes) 258
Megalapterygidae (Upland Moa) 38 Maluridae (Glasswrens) 259
Sylviornithidae (Scrubfowls) 40 Tyrannidae (Tyrant flycatchers) 260
Numididae (Guineafowl) 41 Turnagridae (Piopios) 262
Phasianidae (Grouse and quails) 42 Meliphagidae (Honeyeaters) 265
Anatidae (Ducks, geese and swans) 47 Dasyornithidae (Bristlebirds) 266
Spheniscidae (Penguins) 65 Acanthizidae (Australian warblers) 266
Procellariidae (Petrels) 67 Callaeidae (Wattlebirds) 267
Hydrobatidae (Storm-petrels) 73 Notiomystidae (Stitchbird) 271
Podicipedidae (Grebes) 73 Cinclosomatidae (Quail-thrush) 271
Threskiornithidae (Ibises) 76 Cracticidae (Currawongs and butcherbirds) 272
Ardeidae (Herons, egrets and bitterns) 79 Campephagidae (Cuckoo-shrikes) 273
Sulidae (Boobies) 84 Oriolidae (Orioles) 275
Phalacrocoracidae (Cormorants) 85 Rhipiduridae (Fan-tailed flycatchers) 276
Anhingidae (Darters) 87 Monarchidae (Monarchs) 277
Accipitridae (Eagles, kites and hawks) 88 Corvidae (Crows) 281
Falconidae (Falcons and caracaras) 93 Petroicidae (Australasian robins) 283
Otididae (Bustards) 97 Paridae (Tits and Chicadees) 284
Rhynochetidae (Kagus) 97 Mohoidae (Mohos) 285
Aptornithidae (Adzebills) 98 Hirundinidae (Swallows and martins) 290
Rallidae (Rails and coots) 99 Macrosphenidae (Crombecs) 291
Turnicidae (Buttonquails) 141 Phylloscopidae (Leaf warblers) 291
Haematopodidae (Oystercatchers) 142 Acrocephalidae (Reed warblers) 292
Charadriidae (Plovers) 144 Pycnonotidae (Bulbuls) 297
Scolopacidae (Snipes and sandpipers) 145 Sylviidae (Sylvia warblers) 298
Laridae (Gulls) 152 Locustellidae (Grasshopper warblers) 299
Alcidae (Auks) 152 Cisticolidae (Cisticolas and allies) 301
Columbidae (Pigeons and doves) 155 Zosteropidae (White-eyes) 301
Strigopidae (Kakas, keas and kakapos) 189 Regulidae (Kinglets) 305
Psittacidae (Parrots and macaws) 191 Troglodytidae (Wrens) 306
Cuculidae (Cuckoos) 217 Mimidae (Mockingbirds and thrashers) 309
Tytonidae (Barn owls) 221 Sturnidae (Starlings) 310
Strigidae (True owls) 224 Turdidae (Thrushes) 319
Caprimulgidae (Nightjars) 234 Ploceidae (Fodies) 326
Aegothelidae (Owlet-nightjars) 235 Estrildidae (Waxbills, munias and allies) 327
Apodidae (Swifts) 236 Fringillidae (Finches) 328
Trochilidae (Hummingbirds) 236 Parulidae (New World warblers) 357
Brachypteraciidae (Ground-rollers) 239 Icteridae (New World orioles) 360
Halcyonidae (Kingfishers) 240 Emberizidae (Buntings and New World sparrows) 362
Upupidae (Hoopoes) 241 Thraupidae (Tanagers) 367
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Extinct Birds
Hypothetical birds 327
Megapodiidiae (Megapodes) 371 Trochilidae (Hummingbirds) 382
Phasianidae (Grouse and quails) 372 Halcyonidae (Kingfishers) 383
Anatidae (Ducks, geese and swans) 373 Galbulidae (Jacamars) 384
Cathartidae (Vultures) 374 Troglodytidae (Wrens) 384
Rallidae (Rails and coots) 374 Timaliidae (Babblers) 385
Columbidae (Pigeons and doves) 377 Fringillidae (Finches) 385
Psittacidae (Parrots and macaws) 378 Cardinalidae (Cardinals) 385
Appendix 1: Data-deficient taxa 387
Appendix 2: Doubtful and invalid taxa 404
Appendix 3: Rediscovered taxa 490
Appendix 4: Museums and institutions 511
References 516
Index 595
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Foreword
by Errol Fuller
To many people, the word extinct conjures up visions of gigantic creatures living eons ago, beasts separated
from us not just by their size and terrifying power, but by unimaginable gulfs of time. Their connection with
our own lives seems so remote that it is easy to reduce them to figures of fantasy, rather than as creatures
that were once of flesh and blood. We may hear the story of the dinosaurs or of the mammoths with awe
and wonder, but these tales hardly impact on our own lives.
But in recent years the idea of extinction and extinct creatures has begun to assume a new dimension.
The frightening speed with which the natural world is being destroyed forces us to consider extinction in a
much more personal way. No longer can it be reduced to a matter of great lumbering animals created in
celluloid to excite, alarm or entertain us. The concept of the extinction of species is now at our doorstep,
rather than confined to a distant past to which we need pay little real attention.
With this awareness has come a growing interest in species that have become extinct in comparatively
recent times, an interest that leads to the realisation that such species have an intrinsic fascination all of their
own. Many of those that have vanished in what might loosely be termed ‘recent historical times’ have left
behind traces and records of their interaction with humanity. They seem almost close enough to touch, yet
will now remain forever just out of reach. Not only do they retain the elusive and intriguing quality of
mystery, but many were remarkable creatures in their own right. Among birds are many species that have
fascinating stories attached to their names, or were weird and wonderful in appearance. There is the
Passenger Pigeon, for instance, and the Huia, and the Great Auk. And, of course, there is the Dodo.
But perhaps it is not just the interesting and curious nature of many species that makes recently extinct
birds so fascinating. Perhaps the very idea of a bird becoming extinct is something that is particularly star-
tling. After all, birds are such symbols of life, movement, vitality and freedom. Their capacity for flight and
their very familiarity – the fact that they live so noticeably all around us – make it doubly difficult to come to
terms with the idea that a species should no longer exist.
Anyone who finds the subject intriguing (and perhaps many who don’t yet realise that they do) will
discover that this second edition puts all the relevant information concerning recently extinct birds at their
fingertips – and brings it right up to date. This is not just another annotated list; it is a comprehensive
account of what is known. A book of this kind cannot be compiled after just a few months routine research.
It is a labour of love, and represents Julian Hume’s lifetime study. It combines great knowledge and experi-
ence with an enormous passion for the subject, and scholarship and practical experience in the field are
evident throughout. For years Julian has travelled the world seeking out snippets of information or gaining
insights in the actual terrains that extinct birds once inhabited. Like me, he cannot resist drawing and
painting those things that interest him, and his charming line drawings give the book an added dimension.
Doubtless, this volume will be compared with the book on extinct birds that I wrote several years ago,
but in reality any such comparison is of little purpose. My book is something of a romantic ramble through
the subject, whereas the present work is a tremendous compendium of information. No stone has been left
unturned in the pursuit of facts – some obscure, some easier to come by – and the result of all this effort is
presented in a form that is crystal clear and easily accessible. Anyone coming to this work may rest assured;
Julian Hume has ruthlessly uncovered whatever information exists, and set it down in this truly encyclo-
paedic volume.
Errol Fuller
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Preface to the second edition
It has been just five years since the publication of the first edition of Extinct Birds, yet already significant
developments have taken place. The inclusion of taxa known from the fossil record and birds not recorded
in recent years increases the number of extinct species by 48 and subspecies by seven. This makes dismal
reading, but is partially offset by the rediscovery over this period of two full species and 21 subspecies.
Greenway (1967) noted cheerfully in his preface to the second edition of Extinct and Vanishing Birds of the
World that six forms of bird hitherto thought extinct had been rediscovered, including the now probably
extinct Eskimo Curlew Numenius borealis. He then lists one species and four subspecies as ‘almost certainly
extinct’, of which the Aleutian Canada Goose Branta canadensis leucopareia and Anjouan Scops Owl Otus
capnodes have since been rediscovered. Greenway also included the Huia Heteralocha acutirostris in this cate-
gory, despite the fact that it had not been recorded since 1907. The problem here, of course, is this: when is a
bird species considered extinct? The IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) and
BirdLife International have defining categories, but these can be idiosyncratic. For example, the Pink-
headed Duck Rhodonessa caryophyllacea, which could still be caught in numbers until at least 1927 – ten live
birds arrived together in that year at Foxwarren Park, Surrey, England, alone – was last recorded in 1949.
There have been no confirmed reports since, yet it is listed as possibly extant. By contrast, the elusive Po’ouli
Melamprosops phaeosoma, which occurred in the extensive forested slopes of Maui in the Hawaiian Islands,
was last seen in 2004 and is now considered certainly extinct.
There is no doubt that pronouncing a species extinct prematurely can have detrimental effects. If a bird is
considered gone, all hope for it is then lost and it no longer receives protective legislation. But even when a
conservation project receives copious financial support, it may still not be enough to save a species. For
example, a long-term government-funded project to save the Orange-bellied Parrot Neophema chrysogaster, a
bird that has a precarious annual migration from southern mainland Australia to its breeding grounds in
southwest Tasmania, appears to have been in vain. The wild population is down to fewer than 50 birds and
continues to decline. Around 300 individuals are kept in captivity to safeguard the future of the species, but
this parrot is almost certainly destined to become Extinct in the wild; In 2015, BirdLife International predicted
that this would happen within three to five years. The Orange-bellied parrot will no doubt join a list of birds
that have already suffered the same fate, birds such as the Alagoas Curassow Mitu mitu, Guam Rail
Gallirallus owstoni, Socorro Dove Zenaida graysoni, Guam Kingfisher Todiramphus cinnamominus and
Hawaiian Crow Corvus hawaiiensis.
In their work on human-caused bird extinctions, Milberg & Tyrberg (1993) and Tyrberg (2009) showed
that the majority of documented cases after 1600 AD occurred on islands. But times have changed, and this
is certainly not the case today. Human interference on continental land masses has destroyed and frag-
mented natural habitats, thus creating isolated ‘islands’ in a sea of urban, industrial and agricultural
development. Combined with ever-increasing anthropogenic encroachment and pressure, these remnants
are under serious threat along with the species that they support. This is creating a new phase in the already
gloomy record of bird extinctions, and one that mirrors the catastrophic effects that have already beset
many island birds.
Furthermore, the sad predicament facing conservationists today is that with so many birds now on the
verge of extinction, choices have to be made as to which can or cannot be realistically saved. As many as 60
species have populations numbering fewer than 50 individuals, some with less than ten, and the number of
species included in this category is increasing rapidly. Many international conservation organisations are
working hard to implement protective measures to reverse this trend, and the success stories are testament
to their efforts. But the fight to prevent more species ending up in this book should not be just left to conser-
vationists; it should be of paramount importance in all government agendas. Surely it must be worth the
effort!
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