Extinct, flightless bird that was endemic to Rodrigues
Rodrigues solitaire
Temporal range: Holocene
PreꞒ
Ꞓ
O
S
D
C
P
T
J
K
Pg
N
↓
1708 drawing by François Leguat, the only known illustration of this species by someone who observed it alive[1]
Conservation status
Extinct (mid-18th century) (IUCN 2.3)[2]
Scientific classification
Domain:
Eukaryota
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Aves
Order:
Columbiformes
Family:
Columbidae
Subfamily:
†Raphinae
Genus:
†Pezophaps Strickland, 1848
Species:
†P. solitaria
Binomial name
†Pezophaps solitaria
(Gmelin, 1789)
Location of Rodrigues
Synonyms
List
Didus solitarius Gmelin, 1789
Pezophaps solitarius Strickland, 1848
Didus nazarenus Bartlett, 1851
Pezophaps minor Strickland, 1852
The Rodrigues solitaire (Pezophaps solitaria) is an extinct flightless bird that was endemic to the island of Rodrigues, east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. Genetically within the family of pigeons and doves, it was most closely related to the also extinct dodo of the nearby island Mauritius, the two forming the subfamily Raphinae. The Nicobar pigeon is their closest living genetic relative.
Rodrigues solitaires grew to the size of swans, and demonstrated pronounced sexual dimorphism. Males were much larger than females and measured up to 75.7–90 centimetres (30–35 inches) in height and 28 kilograms (62 pounds) in weight, contrasting with 63.8–70 centimetres (25–28 in) and 17 kilograms (37 lb) for females. Its plumage was grey and brown; the female was paler than the male. It had a black band at the base of its slightly hooked beak, and its neck and legs were long. Both sexes were highly territorial, with large bony knobs on their wings that were used in combat. The Rodrigues solitaire laid a single egg that was incubated in turn by both sexes. Gizzard stones helped digest its food, which included fruit and seeds.
First mentioned during the 17th century, the Rodrigues solitaire was described in detail by François Leguat, the leader of a group of French Huguenot refugees who were marooned on Rodrigues in 1691–1693. It was hunted by humans and introduced animals, and was extinct by the late 18th century. Apart from Leguat's account and drawing, and a few other contemporary descriptions, nothing was known about the bird until a few subfossil bones were found in a cave in 1786. Thousands of bones have subsequently been excavated. It is the only extinct bird with a former constellation named after it, Turdus Solitarius.
^Cite error: The named reference HumeSteel2013 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^BirdLife International (2016). "Pezophaps solitaria". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22690062A93259685. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22690062A93259685.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
and 24 Related for: Rodrigues solitaire information
The Rodriguessolitaire (Pezophaps solitaria) is an extinct flightless bird that was endemic to the island of Rodrigues, east of Madagascar in the Indian...
Solitaire may refer to: Le Solitaire, a 1987 French film Solitaire (1991 film), a Canadian drama film Solitaire (2008 film), a drama film Solitaire, 2016...
The dodo's closest relative was the also-extinct and flightless Rodriguessolitaire. The two formed the subfamily Raphinae, a clade of extinct flightless...
Réunion flightless ibis, broad-billed parrot, red rail, Rodrigues rail, and Rodriguessolitaire. Contemporary sources state that the dodo used gizzard...
pigeon, and is the closest living relative of the extinct dodo and Rodriguessolitaire. In 1738, the English naturalist Eleazar Albin included a description...
Rodrigues (French: Île Rodrigues [il ʁɔdʁiɡ]; Creole: Rodrig) is a 108 km2 (42 sq mi) autonomous outer island of the Republic of Mauritius in the Indian...
previously also contained the family Raphidae, consisting of the extinct Rodriguessolitaire and the dodo. These species are in all likelihood part of the Indo-Australian...
as other island endemics have become extinct (e.g. the dodo and Rodriguessolitaire, giant flightless pigeons related to the Nicobar pigeon). A similar...
tail. It was named after the Rodriguessolitaire, an extinct flightless bird that was endemic to the island of Rodrigues East of Madagascar in the Indian...
flightless, has not been seen flying) Dodo, Raphus cucullatus † Rodriguessolitaire, Pezophaps solitaria † Viti Levu giant pigeon, Natunaornis gigoura...
morphological adaptions of flightless columbids, akin to that of the dodo, Rodriguessolitaire and Viti Levu giant pigeon. It was presumed to have been hunted to...
was only slightly smaller than the dodo (Raphus cucullatus) and Rodriguessolitaire (Pezophaps solitaria) and is the first giant flightless pigeon to...
The Rodrigues night heron (Nycticorax megacephalus) is an extinct species of heron that was endemic to the Mascarene island of Rodrigues in the Indian...
basis for the "Réunion solitaire" or "white dodo" ("Raphus solitarius"), a supposed relative of the dodo and the Rodriguessolitaire. Given the fact that...
Rodrigues parrot or Leguat's parrot (Necropsittacus rodricanus) is an extinct species of parrot that was endemic to the Mascarene island of Rodrigues...
sent his brother a number of specimens, including the dodo and the Rodriguessolitaire, both already extinct. In 1878, Newton initiated the first laws anywhere...
(renamed to Mocking Bird and then to Noctua). Named in honor of the Rodriguessolitaire, an extinct flightless bird related to the dodo. 1776 Pierre Charles...
The Rodrigues pigeon or Rodrigues dove (Nesoenas rodericanus) is an extinct species of pigeon formerly endemic to the Mascarene island of Rodrigues. It...
Genus †Raphus (dodo, extinct late 17th century) Genus †Pezophaps (Rodriguessolitaire, extinct c. 1730) Tribe Turturini Genus Phapitreron (brown doves...
Global Information
