Tag Archives: Saint Lucia

Leucopeza semperi P. L. Sclater

Semper’s Warbler (Leucopeza semperi)

Semper’s Warbler was described in 1876; the species was endemic to the island of St. Lucia in the Lesser Antilles. It was a ground-dwelling species that inhabited the undergrowth of the montane rainforests and the elfin woodlands of the highest mountains.

The bird reached a size of about 14.5 cm; the plumage was inconspicuously dark grey above and greyish white below; the beak was greyish yellow; the legs were yellow.

The species was quite abundant when it was discovered but begun to disappear during the middle of the 20th century, most likely due to the introduction of Small Indian Mongooses (Urva auropunctata (Hodgson)) with the intention to control the populations of rodents and snakes. It was finally last seen in 1961; however, several unconfirmed sightings took place until 2003. 

*********************

Depiction from: ‘P. L. Sclater: On some additional species of birds from St. Lucia, West Indies. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1876: 13-14’

(public domain)

*********************

edited: 17.02.2024

Turdus lherminieri ssp. sanctaeluciae (P. L. Sclater)

St. Lucia Forest Thrush (Turdus lherminieri ssp. sanctaeluciae)

The Forest Thrush is endemic to the Lesser Antilles, were four subspecies have been described, each inhabiting only a single island (Dominica, Guadeloupe, Montserrat, and Saint Lucia).

***

The St. Lucia Forest Thrush differed from the nominate race by its slightly lighter colored upper side, the absence of black spots on its chest, by its slightly less pronounced rufous shade on the lower throat and the foreneck as well as by the lighter rufous coloration of the inner lining of its quills, by the brown bases of its undertail coverts which have white instead of cream-colored tips, and finally by its nearly completely yellow beak.

R. Bowdler Sharpe writes about this island form in 1902.:

… that it is called in Santa Lucia “Molvie” or “Mauvie”. … This bird is counted as one of our game birds, and is killed in large numbers from August to January yearly. About October to December these birds are found in large numbers in flocks feeding on the berries of certain trees; but for the remainder of the year they are dispersed in pairs, and become very poor. They breed about April or May, the female building a nest of dried leaves, twigs &c. on a bush or low tree, laying two eggs of a blue-green. they take very little shot to kill them.” [1]

***

Formerly considered to be quite common, the St. Lucia Forest Thrush was last seen in 2007 near the town of Chassin in the northern part of the island, it is now believed to be most likely completely extinct. [1]

***

syn. Cichlherminia lherminieri ssp. sanctaeluciae (P. L. Sclater), Cichlherminia sanctae-luciae (P. L. Sclater), Margarops sanctae-luciae P. L. Sclater

*********************

(bird in foreground)

Depiction from: ‘Henry Seebohm; R. Bowdler Sharpe: A Monograph of the Turdidae or family of thrushes. London: Henry Sotheran 1902’  

(public domain)

*********************

References:

[1] Hannah Wheatley: Forest thrush (Turdus lherminieri): request for information. BirdLife’s Globally Threatened Bird Forums. August 23, 2018

*********************

edited: 12.06.2020