This form is known from fossil remains that were found on the island of Mallorca, Spain and that are of Late Paleistocene/Early Holocene age.
They appear to be at least 10% larger than corresponding compariative material of the largest known Turdus spp. and may be identical with another large thrush species that was described in 2004 as Meridiocichla salotti Louchart. [1]
*********************
References:
[1] Antoine Louchart: An extinct large thrush (Aves: Turdidae) from the late Quaternary of Mediterranean Europe. Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie 233(2): 257-296. 2004
The Forest Thrush (Turdus lherminieri Lafresnaye) is a beautiful and quite large thrush that prefers humid forests, it is now restricted to four islands in the Lesser Antilles: Dominica, Guadeloupe, Montserrat, and Saint Lucia, with each island harboring its own distinct endemic subspecies.
The species was formerly more widespread and did also occur on Antigua and Barbuda, where it is known from subfossil remains found so far at least on the island of Barbuda. This form certainly constituted another island-endemic subspecies. [1]
The Barbuda Forest Thrush very likely survived well into the Holocene era but disappeared due to the clearing of the forests on its home island.
*********************
References:
[1] Gregory K. Pregill; David W. Steadman; David R. Watters: Late Quaternary vertebrate faunas of the Lesser Antilles: historical components of Caribbean biogeography. Bulletin of Carnegie Museum of Natural History 30: 1-51. 1994
The Forest Thrush (Turdus lherminieri (Lafresnaye)) inhabits, respectively inhabited some of the islands of the Lesser Antilles, where it is known from Dominica, Guadeloupe, and Montserrat as well as from Saint Lucia.
The species is, however, not known from Martinique, which is located between Dominica and Saint Lucia, but almost for sure did once occur there as well and probably did so with an endemic subspecies; yet currently there is no proof so far for that assumption, thus I will only briefly mention this assumption here.
The Grand Cayman Thrush was described in 1886; it was restricted to the island of Grand Cayman where it inhabited mangrove swamps and coral rocks covered with climbing cacti.
The species was quite large, reaching a size of up to 28 cm; it was generally uniformly ash-grey colored, except for the lower abdomen, the undertail coverts and the tips of three of the outer tail feathers which where white; the beak and the eye ring as well as the legs were bright orange red.
The birds were known to feed on the fruits of the highly toxic Manchineel Tree (Hippomane mancinella L.).
The last birds were collected in 1911 by Wilmot W. Brown (without any official permission, by the way), and their collector wrote the following statement about the species’ demise.:
“… this rare thrush which is without question on the verge of extinction due to ravages of domestic cats in a wild state that overrun the island, and to fire ants which kill the young birds in the nest ….” [1]
The last reliable record took place in 1938, when a single bird was spotted by the zoologist C. Bernard Lewis.
***
syn. Mimocichla ravida Cory
*********************
References:
[1] Kevin B. Clark: Wilmot W. Brown: one of the most prolific collectors of the vertebrate fauna of the New World. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College 126(6): 347-378. 2020
This form is known only from reports from the 1850s as well as from subfossil remains that were recovered from deposits on the island of Maui, Hawaiian Islands.
Taken into account the fact that all known island forms of the species are considered distinct subspecies, the form that formerly inhabited the island of Maui, must also have been a distinct form.
*********************
References:
[1] S. L. Olson; H. F. James: Descriptions of thirty-two new species of birds from the Hawaiian Islands: Part II. Passeriformes. Ornithological Monographs 45: 1-91. 1991
The Lanai Thrush was described in 1891. This thrush, which the Hawaiians called Oloma’o or Olomau, was restricted to the islands that formerly formed Maui-nui: Lana’i, Maui, and Moloka’i, Hawaiian Islands, with each of these islands harboring its own endemic subspecies respectively.
All of them are now extinct.
“The specimens from Lanai, the island from which Wilson’s type came, are as a rule much white below, and the majority of them have the brown of the back somewhat less bright. As the measurements of their wings show, there is also a decided tendency to longer wings in the Molokai birds, but the longest of those from Lanai surpass several of those from Molokai. There is nothing extraordinary in it if we assume that the Phaeornis, inhabiting also low-lying regions, crosses from Lanai to Molokai, and therefore is the same species on both islands … The Olomao, as it is called, both on Lanai and Molokai, is not rare on both these islands, and Palmer saw it in the lowland as well as at the highest elevations. In the stomachs he found seeds and berries of different plants. When seen on a tree they were generally shaking their wings or “trembling,” as Palmer calls it. They have that clear call-note peculiar to this group, and also another deep hoarse cry. Their song is “of a jerky nature,” and consists of several clear notes.” [1]
***
The Lanai Thrush disappeared soon after the establishment and subsequent development of Lana’i City in the center of the island in 1923, it was last seen only 10 years later in 1933.
***
The Oloma’o certainly also inhabited the island of Kaho’olawe, probably with another endemic subspecies, before the island was completely devastated. ***
syn. Phaeornis lanaiensis Wilson, Phaeornis obscurus ssp. lanaiensis Wilson
*********************
bird on bottom; together with Large Kauai Thrush (Myadestes myadestinus (Stejneger))
Depiction from: ‘Scott B. Wilson; A. H. Wilson; Frederick William Frohawk; Hans Gadow: Aves Hawaiienses: the birds of the Sandwich Islands. London: R.H. Porter 1890-1899’
(not in copyright) *********************
References:
[1] W. Rothschild: The Avifauna of Laysan and the neighbouring islands with a complete history to date of the birds of the Hawaiian possession. 1893-1900
This species was discovered in 1828 when it was apparently still quite common and five specimens were collected … they are all that remains of this species today.
The Bonin Thrush was only ever found on a single island, Chichijima in the Ogasawara archipelago; however, it may well have been more widespread but no records exist. It inhabited coastal forests and was usually found on the forest floor, it may also have bred on the ground.
The species was about 23 cm large; it was warm brown colored and showed darker streaks on its upper side.
Isle of Pines Solitaire (Myadestes elisabeth ssp. retrusus)
The Cuban Solitaire (Myadestes elisabeth (Lembeye)) [see photo] is endemic to the island of Cuba, where it apparently inhabits moist montane forests.
The species also inhabited Isla de la Juventud off the southern coast of Cuba, these birds, however differed from the Cuban birds and thus were described in 1905 as a distinct subspecies.
***
“Similar to M. e. elizabeth, but still smaller, narrower, and more pointed, and coloration clearer and grayer, the upper parts nearly mouse gray instead of deep hair brown or olive, the under parts nearly pure white passing into very pale clear gray on chest and sides of breast.” [1]
***
The bird reached a length of about 17,5 cm.
The Isle of Pines Solitaire disappeared due to the destruction of its habitat, an ill fate that now also seems to befall the Cuban Solitaire which is officially listed as ‘Near Threatened’.
[1] Robert Ridgway: The birds of North and Middle America: A descriptive catalogue of the higher groups, genera, species, and subspecies of birds known to occur in North America, from the arctic lands to the isthmus of Panama, the West Indies and other islands of the Caribbean sea, and the Galapagos Archipelago. Bulletin of the United States National Museum 50(4). 1907
This up to now undescribed taxon is known only on the basis of subfossil remains that were found (quite commonly) on the island of Madeira. [2]
The Madeiran Thrush was a large, long-legged species, apparently adapted to a terrestrial lifestyle, it is not known if the species was flightless, but it was very likely a poor flyer and a typical tame (naive) island bird with no fear for humans or other mammals ….
***
Today, the only species of thrush inhabiting the island of Madeira is the native Blackbird (Turdus merula ssp. cabrerae Hartert) with a subspecies that also inhabits the Canary Islands.
*********************
References:
[1] Harald Pieper: The fossil land birds of Madeira and Porto Santo. Bocagiana 88: 1-6. 1985
The Choiseul Russet-tailed Thrush is thought to be endemic to the island of Choiseul, Solomon Islands.
The thrush has a size of about 20 cm, it has plain dark upperparts and an indistinct buffy moustachial stripe and eye-ring, the underparts are creamy-buff with dusky-brown scales, the belly and vent are whiter.
***
This bird is known from a single specimen that was collected in 1904, since then none was ever found again … until 2013, when a juvenile bird that can be assigned to the same species was collected on the island of Santa Isabel, which is the neighbor island of Choiseul.
The question is now if this juvenile can be assigned to the same subspecies or if it represents a new one.
***
The Choiseul Russet-tailed Thrush will stay on the blog until this question is finally solved.
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
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.
*********************
References:
[1] D. W. Steadman: Extinction and Biogeography of Tropical Pacific Birds. University of Chicago Press 2006
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]
*********************
References:
[1] D. W. Steadman: Extinction and Biogeography of Tropical Pacific Birds. University of Chicago Press 2006
The Black-hooded Thrush (Turdus olivater (Lafresnaye)) (see photo) occurs in northern South America, Mainly in Colombia and Venezuela, eight subspecies are distinguished of which the one, discussed here, is endemic to the Cauca Vvalley in southwest Colombia.
The habitat of the Cauca Black-hooded Thrush is now more or less completely destroyed by logging and this little known subspecies is possibly extinct.
This is rather a Late Pleistocene species that apparently found its last refuge on some of the islands in the Mediterranean Sea, where some of its remains were recovered from Early Holocene deposits. Bones from Corsica and Crete are assigned to this form; additional remains found on the island of Mallorca may also belong here but have not yet been compared.
It was a quite large thrush, larger than any of the living members of the genus Turdus, yet it did not show any signs of insular adaptions like shortened wings etc. and is thus thought to have originally inhabited all of the Mediterranean region. [1]
*********************
References:
[1] Antoine Louchart: An extinct large thrush (Aves: Turdidae) from the late Quaternary of Mediterranean Europe. Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie 233(2): 257-296. 2004
The Oahu Thrush, locally known as ‘āmaui, was described in 1899; it was restricted to the island of O’ahu, Hawaiian Islands.
The only record of the species in life comes from the diary of Andrew Bloxam, a naturalist that was on board of the HMS Blonde which anchored off the coast of the island of O’ahu in 1825; he also took the only specimen that apparently still survives until today.:
“We soon began to ascend the pass the sun rising at the time amid the chirping of small birds and the melodious notes of a brown thrush, the only songster on the islands.”
The Molokai Thrush, described in 1891, was restricted to the island of Moloka’i, Hawaiian Islands.
The thrush was considered very common in the 19th century but its populations began to collapse due to deforestation and the unintentional introduction of avian malaria onto the islands and it is now extinct.
The Large Kauai Thrush, known to the native Hawaiians as kāma’o, was described in 1887; as its name implies, it was endemic to the island of Kaua’i.
It was the largest member of its genus on the islands, and it inhabited its home together with another congeneric species, the Small Kauai Thrush, aka. puaiohi, (Myadestes palmeri (Rothschild)), which is still surviving until today.
The Large Kauai Thrush was considered very common at the beginning of the 1800s and was found throughout the island, however, the destruction of the island forests and the unintentional introduction of avian malaria onto the islands took their toll on the birds and their populations collapsed.
The last sighting took place in 1989 in the infamous Alaka’i Wilderness Preserve, which was the last fortress for a number of endemic bird species; and like so many other Hawaiian birds, also the kāma’o is now extinct.
The Lifou Thrush was endemic to the island of Lifou, Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia, it is a member of the ‚Island Thrush species complex‘ and was formerly regarded to as one of about 70 (!!!) subspecies within a single species (Turdus poliocephalus Latham).
The species was last recorded in 1878, when the last six specimens were collected. It appears to have been eradicated by introduced Black Rats (Rattus rattus (L.))
***
This (sub)species is supposed to also inhabit or have inhabited the island of Tanna, Vanuatu, which for geographical reasons is indeed possible, but rather unlikely. Given the usual distribution patterns of this species complex, it would make this taxon the only of the 70 within its complex occurring on more that one island.
This assumption furthermore goes back to one or two museum specimens that were allegedly collected on Tanna, but these appear to be trade skins obtained by European collectors from local traders. [1]
***
syn. Turdus poliocephalus ssp. pritzbueri Layard
*********************
Depiction from: ‘Henry Seebohm; R. Bowdler Sharpe: A Monograph of the Turdidae or family of thrushes. London: Henry Sotheran 1902’
(public domain)
*********************
References:
[1] J. P. Hume; M. Walters: Extinct Birds. Bloomsbury Publishing Plc 2012
This species is still considered as a subspecies of the Island Thrush (Turdus poliocephalus Latham), an assessment, that, in a biogeographical view, makes absolutely no sense – hence I treat it as a distinct species.
***
The Mare Island Thrush inhabited the island of Maré, one of the New Caledonian Loyalty Islands.
The birds were about 23 cm long, and, apart from the white-spotted undertail-coverts, almost completely blackish brown in color. They inhabited all of the forest types of the island, including those in the islands interior as well as those near beaches, and they fed on insects and small reptiles as well as on fruits.
***
The Mare Island Thrush obviously died out after cats had been released on the island, an exact extinction date is not known, according to which source dates from 1875 to 1912 can be found.
Depiction from: ‘Henry Seebohm; R. Bowdler Sharpe: A Monograph of the Turdidae or family of thrushes. London: Henry Sotheran 1902’
(public domain)
*********************
References:
[1] Dieter Luther: Die ausgestorbenen Vögel der Welt. Westarp Wissenschaften 1986 [2] Peter Clement; Ren Hathaway: Thrushes. Christopher Helm Publishers Ltd 2000 [3] David W. Steadman: Extinction and Biogeography of Tropical Pacific Birds. University of Chicago Press 2006 [4] H. Douglass Pratt: Revisiting species and subspecies of island birds for a better assessment of biodiversity. Ornithological Monographs 67: 79-89. 2010
