Newton's parakeet †

Psittacula exsul

Of 40 centimeters length.

The male of the Newton's Parakeet (Psittacula exsul) It was probably green, with red patches on wings, also manifested in a variation bluish; only two skins of this species, both blue hue; the plumage It was generally greenish blue with gray shades; chest, abdomen and under cover tail slightly paler shades; head darker gray hue without; fine black line between cere and the eye; black bars cheek and narrow black strip on the neck, strip adjacent the blue-green; primaries blue-green; feathers on top of the tail blue-green, underside grey; mandible red top, mandible lower black; irises yellow; legs grey.

The female with narrow black stripe on the forehead; black bars cheek not extend to the side neck; crown washed with gray; upper jaw black.

Immature; No information

It was a kind forest who lived in areas of pine Pandanus and Palm trees.

Probably similar to Reunion Parakeet (Psittacula eques)

According to reports, birds preferred nuts and fruits of Cassine East and Fernelia buxifolia.

The Newton's Parakeet It was endemic to the forests of Rodrigues, Mauritius (checks 1987).

It was said to be abundant by explorer Leguat in 1691 (Cowles 1987), but Pingre He noted that it was rare in 1761, and the last record was a bird captured in August of 1875 (Forshaw 2010).

It seems likely that the last birds were wiped out later that year, when the island suffered “the worst hurricane season nineteenth century” (checks 1987).

Two complete specimens survive, plus several bones subfossil (Cowles 1987).

Rationale for the Red List category

This species was endemic to the Rodrigues Island, Mauritius, but it has not been seen since 1875 and now it is extinct.

• Current category of the Red List of the UICN: Extinct.
• The last record was a bird collected in August of 1875

It is believed that hunting and habitat loss greatly contributed to its decline, and that the final blow could have been given by heavy storms 1876. curiously, survived for much longer than most of the island's endemic bird species.

Justification of the population

extinct.

Leguat and his followers saw the birds – presumably Newton's Parakeet – feeding nuts, and they taught to speak to some of these parakeets, which certainly it is an indication of what these birds were tame. Apparently they became bilingual; They could speak both French and Flemish!! When Leguat and his small band of followers fled the island, a parakeet they took with them on their trip to Mauritius.

– Newton’s Parakeet, Newton’s Parrot, Rodrigues Parakeet, Rodrigues Ring-necked Parakeet, Rodriguez Parakeet (English).
– Perruche de Newton (French).
– Rodriguessittich, Rodrigues-Sittich, Rodriguez-Edelsittich (German).
– Periquito-de-rodriguez (Portuguese).
– Cotorra de Newton, Cotorra de Rodrigues (español).

– Order: Psittaciformes
– Family: Psittaculidae
– Gender: Psittacula
– Scientific name: Psittacula exsul
– Subpoena: (Newton, A, 1872)
– Protonimo: Palaeornis exaul

Sources:

• Avibase
• Parrots of the World – Forshaw Joseph M
• Parrots A Guide to the Parrots of the World – Tony Juniper & Mike Parr
• Birdlife

Photos:

(1) – Psittacula exsul (Newton’s Parakeet), female holotype specimen – Wikipedia
(2) – Sternum and mandible of Psittacula exsul, extracted from the female holotype specimen – Wikipedia