Tag Archives: Tonga

Myiagra sp. ”Eua’

Tongan Monarch (Myiagra sp.)

The Tongan Monarch is known from subfossil bones excavated on the island of ‘Eua. 

The species is most closely related to the jeweled (Myiagra azureocapilla Layard) and the red-bellied monarch (Myiagra vanikorensis (Quoy & Gaimard)) of the Fiji Islands and the Samoan monarch (Myiagra albiventris(Peale)) (see illustration). 

The islands of the Tongan archipelago most likely harbored several subspecies, each inhabiting neighboring island groups. 

The Tongan Monarch disappeared, along with numerous other native bird species, due to the devastating destruction of natural vegetation on Tonga’s heavily populated islands. 

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Samoan Monarch (Myiagra albiventris) 

Depiction from: ‘O. Finsch; G. Hartlaub: Contribution to the fauna of Central Polynesia. Ornithology of the Viti, Samoa and Tonga Islands. Halle, H. W. Schmidt 1867’ 

(public domain)

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References: 

[1] D. W. Steadman: Extinction and Biogeography of Tropical Pacific Birds. University of Chicago Press 2006 

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edited: 04.12.2012

Tongoenas burleyi Steadman & Takano

Giant Tongan Pigeon (Tongoenas burleyi)

This very large but still fully volant species is known for quite some time; it is known only on the basis of subfossil bones that were recovered from several sites on some of the Tongan islands, including ‘Eua, Foa, Lifuka, and Tongatapu. The species was finally named in 2020. [1]

In life, this species must have reached a length of more than 50 cm, making it one of the largest pigeons at all, only exceeded in size by the New Guinean crowned pigeons (Goura spp.).

The giant Tongan Pigeon died out shortly after the arrival of the first Polynesian settlers at around 2800 years BP.. [1]

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References:

[1] David W. Steadman; Oona M. Takano: A new genus and species of pigeon (Aves, Columbidae) from the Kingdom of Tonga, with an evaluation of hindlimb osteology of columbids from Oceania. Zootaxa 4810(3): 401-420. 2020

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edited: 22.08.2022

Samoana cramptoni Pilsbry & Cooke

Crampton’s Samoana Snail (Samoana cramptoni)

Crampton’s Samoana Snail was described in 1934, it was restricted to the island of ‘Eua in the Kingdom of Tonga.

The shells are: “Dextral, oblong-conic, narrowly umbilicate and rimate. … thin, translucent, glossy with fine spiral striae on the upper part of spire, fading on body whorl where only a few visible around umbilicus.” [1]

The species is now extinct due to introduced predatory species, including rats.

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References:

[1] Justin Gerlach: Icons of Evolution: Pacific Island Tree-Snails of the Family Partulidae. Phelsuma Press 2016

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edited: 04.06.2021

Didunculus placopedetes Steadman

Tongan Tooth-billed Pigeon (Didunculus placopedetes)

The Tongan Tooth-billed Pigeon was described in 2006 based on subfossil remains that were found on several islands within the Tongan island chain, including the islands of ‘Eua, Ha’afeva, Ha’ano, Lifuka, Tongatapu, and ‘Uiha.

The species was larger than the closely related and now also almost extinct Tooth-billed Pigeon (Didunculus strigirostris (Jardine)) (see depiction) that is just holding on at least on island of Western Samoa.

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Depiction from: John Gould. The birds of Australia. London: printed by R. and J. E. Taylor; pub. by the author 1840-48

(public domain)

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References:

[1] D. W. Steadman: An extinct species of tooth-billed pigeon (Didunculus) from the Kingdom of Tonga, and the concept of endemism in insular landbirds. Journal of Zoology 268(3): 233-241. 2006

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edited: 20.08.2022

Lalage sp. ‘Tonga’

Tongan Triller (Lalage sp.)

The Tonga Triller is only known from subfossil bones that were recovered during excavations on the islands of ‘Eua and Tongatapu in the Kingdom of Tonga.

This species was distinct from the Polynesian Triller (Lalage maculosa ssp. tabuensis Mayr & Ripley) (see photo below) that still inhabits these islands today, however, I don’t have any further information about it so far.

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Polynesian Triller (Lalage maculosa ssp. tabuensis Mayr & Ripley)

Photo: Duncan Wright
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

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References:

[1] David W. Steadman: Extinction and Biogeography of Tropical Pacific Birds. University of Chicago Press 2006

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edited: 12.05.2022

Eclectus infectus ssp. infectus Steadman

Oceanic Eclectus Parrot (Eclectus infectus ssp. infectus)

The Oceanic Eclectus Parrot was described in 2006 based on subfossil remains that were recovered from archaeological sites in Tonga and Vanuatu.

The species almost certainly has survived into the late 18th century, because it apparently was depicted by an unknown artist during Alessandro Malaspina’s Pacific Expedition in 1793 (see depiction below) on the island of ‘Uta Vava’u, Tonga.

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References:

[1] David W. Steadman: A new species of extinct parrot (Psittacidae: Eclectus) from Tonga and Vanuatu, South Pacific. Pacific Science 60(1): 137-145. 2006

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Depiction made during the Malaspina Expedition between 1789 & 1794

(public domain)

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edited: 19.05.2022

Ducula shutleri Worthy & Burley

Tongan Imperial-Pigeon (Ducula shutleri)

The Tongan Imperial Pigeon is known from subfossil remains that were recovered from late Pleistocene deposits as well as from Holocene deposits on several islands within the Tongan island chain, including ‘Eua, Ha’afeva, Lifuka, and Tongatapu.

The species was for some time thought to possibly have been identical with David’s Imperial-Pigeon (Ducula david Balouet & Olson) or with the Lakeba Imperial-Pigeon (Ducula lakeba Worthy), both likewise extinct, but is now understood as having been a distinct species and was finally described as such in 2020. [1]

This large but still volant pigeon died out soon after the arrival of the first Polynesian settlers at around 2850 BP..

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References:

[1] David W. Steadman; Oona M. Takano: A new genus and species of pigeon (Aves, Columbidae) from the Kingdom of Tonga, with an evaluation of hindlimb osteology of columbids from Oceania. Zootaxa 4810(3): 401-420. 2020

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edited: 22.08.2022

Turdus sp. ‘Tongatapu’

Tongatapu Thrush (Turdus sp.)

This thrush from the island of Tongatapu, the largest island in the island kingdom of Tonga, is known only by subfossil remains. [1]

Most of the thrush populations that formerly were assigned to as subspecies of the so called ‚Island Thrush‘ (Turdus poliocephalus Latham) are now more or less generally accepted as being distinct species, thus I’d like to consider all of the Polynesian thrushes as being resp. having been distinct species restricted to single islands each.  

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References:  

[1] D. W. Steadman: Extinction and Biogeography of Tropical Pacific Birds. University of Chicago Press 2006

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edited: 27.11.2018

Zosteropidae gen. & sp. ”Eua’

Large Eua White-eye (Zosteropidae gen. & sp.)  

The subfossil remains of this bird were found on the Tongan island of ‘Eua, it can be assigned to the white-eye family (Zosteropidae), however, not at least because of its large size, it cannot be assigned to any genus.  

The form has currently no scientific name. [1][2][3]  

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The neighboring island of Tongatapu harbored another similar form, also known exclusively from subfossil bone material, which may be identical with the form from the island of ‘Eua. [3]  

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References:  

[1] David W. Steadman: Biogeography of Tongan birds before and after human impact. Proc. Natl. Acad, Sci. USA 90: 818-822. 1993 
[2] D. W. Steadman: Extinction and Biogeography of Tropical Pacific Birds. University of Chicago Press 2006 
[3] S. T. Turvey: Holocene Extinctions. Oxford University Press, USA 2009

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edited: 17.09.2020

Turdus sp. ”Eua’

Eua Thrush (Turdus sp.)

The thrushes that once inhabited the island of ‘Eua, Tonga were either identical with those from the neighboring island of Tongatapu, or, more likely, were a distinct subspecies or species.

The taxon, whatever it may have been, is known only from subfossil remains, and died out soon after the arrival oft he first Polynesain settlers. [1]  

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References:  

[1] D. W. Steadman: Extinction and Biogeography of Tropical Pacific Birds. University of Chicago Press 2006

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edited: 27.11.2018

Charmosyna sp. ‘Tonga’

Tongan Lorikeet (Charmosyna sp.)  

The genus Charmosyna occurs from the easternmost parts of Indonesia to New Guinea and Melanesia as well as to the Fijian Islands. The genus appears to have been more widespread in historical times, and may also have occurred in western Polynesia, as can be assumed from at least two distinct ‘eyewitness’ accounts from the middle of the 19th century, one of them comes from Edgar Leopold Layard, a British diplomat and naturalist, who speaks of a bird he has heard of (so is actually not a real eyewitness account).: 

“At Vavaw [Vava’u] I heard of a “small parrot with two long feathers in its tail” which formerly existed in the group, but has become quite extinct.” [1][2]

This account may in fact refer to another account, made some 20 years earlier by Otto von Kotzebue, a Russian officer and navigator in the Imperial Russian Navy, who reports of such a bird he had seen on a ‘market’ on some island in Samoa (possibly Ofu or Olosega in American Samoa).

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Referenzen:  

[1] E. L. Layard: Notes on the Birds of the Navigators’ and Friendly Islands, with some Additions to the Ornithology of Fiji. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 490-506. 1876 
[2] David W. Steadman; Holly B. Freifeld: Distribution, relative abundance, and habitat relationships of landbirds in the Vava’u group, Kingdom of Tonga. Condor 100. 609-628. 1998

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edited: 12.02.2020

Zosteropidae gen. & sp. ‘Tongatapu’

Large Tongatapu White-eye (Zosteropidae gen. & sp.)

This enigmatic species is mentioned in a list which is included in S. T. Turvey’s ‘Holocene Extinctions’ from 2009, it is supposed to come from the island of Tongatapu, Tongan Islands.

I could not yet find out any more about it, but the author might as well just have mixed up the islands here and probably did actually mean the large white-eye form that is known from subfossil remains found on the island of ‘Eua, the neigbor island of Tongatapu. 

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References:

[1] S. T. Turvey: Holocene Extinctions. Oxford University Press, USA 2009

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edited: 17.05.2019

Gallirallus sp. ‘Vava’u’

Malaspina’s Rail (Gallirallus sp.)

This form is known from a drawing that was made on an island of the Vava’u group, probably ‘Uta Vava’u, during the so-called ‘Malaspina Expedition’, which visited the Pacific under the leadership of Alessandro Malaspina di Mulazzo, sometime between 1789 and 1794.  

The brief description shows that the bird was bluish gray or ash gray in color, and that its plumage was less spotted or striped than most of the other species in the genus.  

The species certainly died out a few years later. [1]

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Depiction made during the Malaspina Expedition between 1789 & 1794  

(public domain)

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References:

[1] Storrs L. Olson: Birds, including extinct species, encountered by the Malaspina Expedition on Vava’u, Tonga, in 1793. Archives of Natural History, 33(1): 42-52. 2006

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edited: 02.05.2021

Gallirallus hypoleucus (Finsch & Hartlaub)

Tongatapu Rail (Gallirallus hypoleucus)

The Tongatapu Rail is actually known only from the description of a single bird that was kept in the collection of Joseph Banks, a naturalist who took part in James Cook’s fisrt voyage from 1768 to 1771; this description can be found in John Latham’s ‘A general synopsis of birds’ from 1781-85.:

“The head in this variety is paler, and the streak over the eye grey: the hind part of the neck transversely striated brown and white: the middle of the back, and scapulars, white, with a very little mixture of brown on the first: wing coverts olive brown, transversely blotched with white; second quills white on the inner webs, on the outer olive brown; the greater quills olive brown, marked with large ferruginous spots; the first wholly white, the second white within: tail even with the end of the quills, barred olive brown and white: all the under parts white: bill and legs pale yellow brown.” [1][2]

The Tongatapu Rail mysteriously managed to somehow survive into the 18th century, its population, however, may already have been more or less crushed when the single specimen was taken in 1773 (?) during Cook’ second voyage, and the species died out completely shortly after.

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There is a drawing made by Georg Forster in 1774 (?), which is often referred to as showing this rail species, this, however, is false since this drawing was in fact made from a bird taken on the island of Nomuka and shows no other bird than the Tongan Buff-banded Rail (Gallirallus philippensis ssp. ecaudatus (J. F. Miller)) (see depiction below).

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References:

[1] John Latham: A general synopsis of birds. London: Printed for Benj. White 1781-1785
[2] D. G. Medway: The Tongatapu rail Gallirallus hypoleucus (Finsch & Hartlaub, 1867) – an extinct species resurrected?. Notornis 57 (4): 199–203. 2010

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Tongan Buff-banded Rail (Gallirallus philippensis ssp. ecaudatus)

Depiction: Georg Forster, 1774 

(public domain)

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edited: 22.05.2019

Gallirallus sp. ‘Ha’afeva’

Haafeva Rail (Gallirallus sp.)

Ha’afeva is a small, more or less flat coral island within the Ha’apai group in the middle of the Tongan archipelago. 

Archaeological excavations on this island found, among other things, subfossil bones of an apparently flightless species of rail, which was exterminated by Polynesians a short time after the island was first settled. 

The Haafeva Rail has not yet been scientifically described. [1][2]

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References:

[1] Jeremy J. Kirchman; David W. Steadman: Rails (Aves: Rallidae: Gallirallus) from prehistoric sites in the Kingdom of Tonga, including a description of a new species. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 118(2): 465-477. 2005 
[2] David W. Steadman: Extinction and Biogeography of Tropical Pacific Birds. University of Chicago Press 2006

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edited: 02.05.2021

Caloenas canacorum Balouet & Olson

Kanaka Pigeon (Caloenas canacorum)

The Kanaka Pigeon was described in 1989, it is known from remains of Holocene age that were found on Grande Terre, New Caledonia as well as on the small island of Lifuka, Tonga.

The species was larger than its next living relative, the Nicobar Pigeon (Caloenas nicobarica L.), otherwise both species apparently shared a similar lifestyle, wandering over large distances and breeding on small, predator-free islands.

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edited: 29.05.2019

Megapodius alimentum Steadman

Western Polynesian Megapode (Megapodius alimentum)

The Megapodes, so called for their large feet used for digging, are characterized by their strange breeding behavior: they do not incubate their eggs with their body heat as other birds do, but bury them.

Some species lay their eggs in the sand of beaches, heated up by the tropical sun, some use volcanically heat for incubation, others collect as much decaying plant material as possible to build so called mounds, in which they then place their eggs.

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Probably most islands in Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia formerly harbored their own populations of Megapodes, numerous species are now known from subfossil remains. Some species, most of them considered hypothetical, are known from eggs only, or from contemporary eye-witness accounts.

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The Western Polynesian Megapode, also known as Consumed Scrubfowl, was described in 1989, it is known from subfossil remains found on several islands of Fiji and Tonga.

The species was bigger than its living congeners, but by far not the biggest species, it was still volant and probably inhabited nearly all islands from the Fijian Lau group to the Tongan chain.

It disappeared after the colonization of these islands by the first Polynesian settlers, who not only hunted the adult birds but also dug up their eggs. [1][2]

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References:

[1] T. H. Worthy: The fossil megapodes (Aves: Megapodiidae) of Fiji with descriptions of a new genus and two new species. Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand 30(4): 337-364. 2000
[2] David W. Steadman: Extinction and Biogeography of Tropical Pacific Birds. University of Chicago Press 2006

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edited: 31.10.2017