Marianne White-eye (Zosterops semiflavus)
The Marianne White-eye was described in 1867, it was known only from Marianne Island in the Seychelles but may as well have occured on other islands within the island group including La Digue, Mahé, Praslin, and Silhouette.
The species was originally thougth to be a subspecies of the Mayotte White-eye (Zosterops mayottensisSchlegel) which it closely resembles, it is, however, more closely related to the Mascarene White-eye species and was restored to a full species in 2006.
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The species disappeared sometimes between 1870 and 1900, the reasons for its demise, however, appear to be unknown but very likely lay in habitat destruction through agricultural development.
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References:
[1] Justin Gerlach: Red List ing reveals the true state of biodiversity: a comprehensive assessment of Seychelles biodiversity. Phesluma 20: 9-22. 2012
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Depiction from: ‘G. E. Shelley: The birds of Africa, comprising all the species which occur in the Ethiopian region. London, published for the author by R.H. Porter (18 Princes Street, Cavendish Square, W.) Vol. 2. 1900’
(public domain)
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edited: 17.05.2019