Extinct species of crested starling from Réunion Island
Hoopoe starling
Specimen in Musée Cantonal de Zoologie, Lausanne
Conservation status
Extinct (ca. 1850) (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:
Eukaryota
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Aves
Order:
Passeriformes
Family:
Sturnidae
Genus:
†Fregilupus Lesson, 1831
Species:
†F. varius
Binomial name
†Fregilupus varius
(Boddaert, 1783)
Location of Réunion (circled)
Synonyms
List
Upupa varia Boddaert, 1783
Upupa capensis Gmelin, 1788
Upupa madagascariensis Shaw, 1811
Coracia cristata Vieillot, 1817
Pastor upupa Wagler, 1827
Fregilupus capensis Lesson, 1831
Coracia tinouch Hartlaub, 1861
Fregilupus borbonicus Vinson, 1868
Fregilupus varia Gray, 1870
Sturnus capensis Schlegel, 1872
Lophopsarus varius Sundeval, 1872
Coracias tivouch Murie, 1874
The hoopoe starling (Fregilupus varius), also known as the Réunion starling or Bourbon crested starling, is a species of starling that lived on the Mascarene island of Réunion and became extinct in the 1850s. Its closest relatives were the also-extinct Rodrigues starling and Mauritius starling from nearby islands, and the three apparently originated in south-east Asia. The bird was first mentioned during the 17th century and was long thought to be related to the hoopoe, from which its name is derived. Some affinities have been proposed, but it was confirmed as a starling in a DNA study.
The hoopoe starling was 30 cm (12 in) in length. Its plumage was primarily white and grey, with its back, wings and tail a darker brown and grey. It had a light, mobile crest, which curled forwards. The bird is thought to have been sexually dimorphic, with males larger and having more curved beaks. The juveniles were more brown than the adults. Little is known about hoopoe starling behaviour. Reportedly living in large flocks, it inhabited humid areas and marshes. The hoopoe starling was omnivorous, feeding on plant matter and insects. Its pelvis was robust, its feet and claws large, and its jaws strong, indicating that it foraged near the ground.
The birds were hunted by settlers on Réunion, who also kept them as pets. Nineteen specimens exist in museums around the world. The hoopoe starling was reported to be in decline by the early 19th century and was probably extinct before the 1860s. Several factors have been proposed, including competition and predation by introduced species, disease, deforestation, and persecution by humans, who hunted it for food and as an alleged crop pest.
^BirdLife International (2016). "Fregilupus varius". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22710840A94263439. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22710840A94263439.en. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
The hoopoestarling (Fregilupus varius), also known as the Réunion starling or Bourbon crested starling, is a species of starling that lived on the Mascarene...
island of Rodrigues. Its closest relatives were the Mauritius starling and the hoopoestarling from nearby islands; all three are extinct and appear to be...
hence the genus name. The Mauritius starling was shown to be closer to the Rodrigues starling than to the hoopoestarling of Réunion. Hume, J. P. (2014)....
Inaccessible Island rail (Another rail on remote island) Hoopoestarling (or the Réunion starling, is another extinct Pacific bird) Barred rail (another...
extinct Huahine starling (Aplonis diluvialis) on neighboring Huahine, it seems likely that this bird also belonged to this genus. Hoopoestarling, Fregilupus...
112 are treated as species and 78 as subspecies. One species, the hoopoestarling, is now extinct. In 1784 he published Elenchus Animalium, a "directory...
Mascarene parrot lived alongside other recently extinct birds such as the hoopoestarling, the Réunion ibis, the Réunion parakeet, the Mascarene grey parakeet...
Leucopsar (Bali myna) and Fregilupus (hoopoestarling), and perhaps the enigmatic Necropsar (Rodrigues starling). On the other hand, if these distinct...
(possibly extinct) Buff-breasted buttonquail Includes hornbills, hoopoe and wood hoopoes. Sulu hornbill Walden's hornbill Helmeted hornbill Includes most...
(2014). Systematics, morphology, and ecological history of the Mascarene starlings (Aves: Sturnidae) with the description of a new genus and species from...
2016-3.RLTS.T22691052A93301514.en. BirdLife International (2017). "Raiatea Starling". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T22734867A119212332. doi:10...
including some woodpeckers, barbets, kingfishers, bee-eaters, wood hoopoes, starlings, and large swallows. It is common for the female greater honeyguide...
night heron. On Réunion, it lived alongside the Réunion ibis, the hoopoestarling, the Mascarene parrot, the local subspecies of the echo parakeet, the...
darter, little grebe, spotted owlet, Indian roller, ashy prinia, common hoopoe, common moorhen, common myna, pied wagtail, grey wagtail, Asian green bee-eater...
Bucerotiformes Family: Upupidae Hoopoes have black, white and orangey-pink colouring with a large erectile crest on their head. Eurasian hoopoe, Upupa epops Order:...
Oriental magpie robin Indian roller Indian robin Eurasian collared dove Hoopoe Sirkeer malkoha Large-billed crow White-browed fantail flycatcher Yellow-crowned...
Others are the smallest, such as the malachite kingfisher. Hoopoe and wood-hoopoes The hoopoe is one of the most wide-ranging bird species in the world...
close relative of the Rodrigues starling. A vernacular name for this supposed species was "white Mascarene starling". However, in April 2000 analysis...
Upupidae Hoopoes have black, white and orangey-pink coloring with a large erectile crest on their head. Eurasian hoopoe, Upupa epops Madagascar hoopoe, Upupa...
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