Tag Archives: Thresciornithidae

Apteribis sp. ‘Maui’

Maui Lowland Ibis (Apteribis sp.)  

The Maui Lowland Ibis is known exclusively from subfossil bones, all recovered from lowland areas on the island of Maui, Hawaiian Islands.  

This form has not yet been described, it differed from the Maui Ibis (Apteribis brevis Olson & James) by its larger size and is thus thought to represent a somewhat distinct taxon. [1]  

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References:  

[1] S. L. Olson; H. F. James: Descriptions of thirty-two new species of birds from the Hawaiian Islands: Part I. Non-Passeriformes. Ornithological Monographs 45: 1-91. 1991  

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edited: 23.03.2018

Xenicibis xympithecus Olson & Steadman

Club-winged Ibis (Xenicibis xympithecus)

The Club-winged Ibis, also known as Jamaican Ibis or Jamaican Flightless Ibis, was described in 1977 on the basis of subfossil bones that had been found in several caves on the island of Jamaica.

The birds were completely flightless and their wing bones were partially transformed and shaped a bit like a club; it is assumed that the birds used their wings in intraspecific combats or as defensive weapons, for example to scare away boid snakes. However, the birds apparently weren’t able to fight off the predatory mammals introduced by humans and disappeared shortly after the first humans began to settle the island sometimes around 4000 to 1000 BCE..

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edited: 16.02.2024

Apteribis glenos Olson & Wetmore

Molokai Ibis (Apteribis glenos)  

This species was described in 1976 based on subfossil remains that were recovered from the deposits of the dunes at Ilio Point and Mo’omomi at the northeastern coast of Moloka’i, Hawaiian Islands.  

The Molokai Ibis was a small, flightless species, that very likely was some kind of equivalent to the New Zealand kiwis.  

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References:  

[1] S. L. Olson; H. F. James: Descriptions of thirty-two new species of birds from the Hawaiian Islands: Part I. Non-Passeriformes. Ornithological Monographs 45: 1-91. 1991  

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edited: 23.03.2018

Apteribis sp. ‘Lana’i’

Lanai Ibis (Apteribis sp.)  

The Lanai Ibis is a hitherto undescribed form, known from a nearly complete skeleton that was found in a vaulted dry lava tube on the island of Lana’i, Hawaiian Islands.  

The find even was in a very good condition and even included some remains of contour feathers which were used to reconstruct the appearance of the bird in life. The bird was brown-black and ivory-beige resp. light brown colored, and, just like its congeners on the other Maui Nui islands (Maui and Moloka’i), completely flightless. [1]  

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References:  [1] C. J. Dove; S. L. Olson: Fossil Feathers from the Hawaiian Flightless Ibis (Apteribis sp.): Plumage coloration and systematics of a prehistorically extinct bird. Journal of Paleontology. 85(5): 892-897. 2011  

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edited: 23.03.2018

Apteribis brevis Olson & James

Maui Ibis (Apteribis brevis)  

This species was described in 1991, it is known from numerous subfossil remains, that were recovered from various sites at higher elevations on the island of Maui, Hawaiian Islands.  

The Maui Ibis was flightless, and sometimes birds fell into lava tubes, from where they could not escape, making it possible for the whole skeleton to outlast until recently. [1]  

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References:  

[1] S. L. Olson; H. F. James: Descriptions of thirty-two new species of birds from the Hawaiian Islands: Part I. Non-Passeriformes. Ornithological Monographs 45: 1-91. 1991  

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edited: 23.03.2018