Bermuda Night Heron

The Bermuda - crowned night herons ( Nyctanassa carcinocatactes ) is an extinct heron of the Bermuda Islands. It was first described in 2006 by Storrs Olson and David B. Wingate based on bone remains from the Pleistocene and Holozänablagerungen in caves and ponds of Bermuda. The nature of the bone suggests that it looked pretty similar to its closest relatives, the crab heron ( N. violacea ). However, he had a heavier beak, a massive skull and robust hind limbs. The specialization of the beak and the hind limbs show that he was apparently adapted to a diet of dry land. Earlier historical references refer clearly to this species, which was probably exterminated during the colonization of Bermuda in the 17th century.