Mauritius blue pigeon

Mauritius blue pigeon

The Mauritius blue pigeon (Alectroenas nitidissimus) is an extinct species of blue pigeon
formerly endemic to the Mascarene island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean east of
Madagascar. It has two extinct relatives from the Mascarenes and three extant ones from
other islands. It is the type species of the genus of blue pigeons, Alectroenas.
It had white hackles around the head, neck and breast and blue plumage on the body, and it
was red on the tail and the bare parts of the head. These colours were thought similar to those
of the Dutch flag, a resemblance reflected in some of the bird's names. The males had red
foreheads, and the juveniles may have been partially green. It was 30 cm (12 in) long and
larger and more robust than any other blue pigeon species. It could raise its hackles into a
ruff, which it used for display. Its call sounded like "barf barf" and it also made a cooing
noise. It fed on fruits, nuts, and molluscs, and was once widespread in the forests of
Mauritius.
The bird was first mentioned in the 17th century and was described several times thereafter,
but very few accounts describe the behaviour of living specimens. Several stuffed and at least
one live specimen reached Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries. Only three stuffed
specimens exist today, and only one bird was ever depicted when alive. The species is
thought to have become extinct in the 1830s due to deforestation and predation.

North Island snipe

Coenocorypha aucklandica barrierensis
The North Island snipe (Coenocorypha barrierensis), also known as the little barrier snipe or tutukiwi,
is an extinct species of bird in the sandpiper family, Scolopacidae, that was endemic to New Zealand.
Oliver described the North Island snipe as being generally similar to other Coenocorypha snipes. He
added that it differed from the South Island snipe in the greater area of buffy white on chin and
throat, the absence of bars on the lower abdomen, the crescent-shaped markings on the upper
abdomen and the less rufous general coloration

Mascarene parrot
The Mascarene parrot or Mascarin (Mascarinus mascarin) is an extinct species of parrot that was
endemic to the Mascarene island of Runion in the western Indian Ocean. The taxonomic
relationships of this species has been subject to debate. It has been connected to the Psittaculini
parrots based on anatomical grounds, but to the vasa parrots based on genetic grounds. The exact
placement is unresolved.

The Mascarene parrot was 35 cm (14 in) in length with a large red bill and long, rounded tail feathers.
Its legs were red, and it had naked red skin around the eyes and nostrils. It had a black facial mask and
partially white tail feathers, but the colouration of the body, wings and head is unclear. Descriptions
from life indicate the body and head were ash grey, and the white part of the tail had two dark central
feathers. In contrast, descriptions based on stuffed specimens state that the body was brown and the
head bluish but do not mention the dark central tail feathers. This may be due to the specimens having
changed colour as a result of aging and exposure to light, as well as other forms of damage. Very little
is known about the bird in life.

The Mascarene parrot was first mentioned in 1674, and live specimens were later brought to Europe,
where they lived in captivity. The species was scientifically described in 1771. Only two stuffed
specimens exist today, in Paris and Vienna. The date and cause of extinction for the Mascarene parrot
is unclear. The latest account from 1834 is considered dubious, so it is probable that the species
became extinct prior to 1800, and may have become extinct in the wild even earlier.