Norfolk Boobook

Norfolk Island morepork, from The Birds of Australia. Picture of Henrik Grönvold ( 1858-1940 ).

The Norfolk Island morepork ( Ninox novaeseelandiae undulata ) was a subspecies of the domestic to the New Zealand South Island New Zealand Kuckuckskauzes ( Ninox novaeseelandiae ). He is in purebred form to be extinct. Hybrids carrying the genes of the late 1996 last pure-bred female in itself, still live on the located in the Tasman Sea Norfolk Island.

Features

With a length of 30 cm, the north folk Island morepork was slightly larger than the nominate. The plumage was rusty brown at the top, reddish-brown at the bottom and white banded. The wings were beige - brown and white banded. Head and throat were rusty brown. The veil was white to yellow-brown. The beak was blue - black. The feet were dull yellowish - brown. The iris was golden. In contrast to nominate the top was more rusty brown and the underside banded reddish brown more

Habitat and behavior

Previously inhabited the Norfolk Island morepork the subtropical rain forests of Norfolk Island. Due to the wide -scale deforestation its range had contracted in 1909 on an area of 4.65 km ² at Mount Pitt. Kuckuckskäuze nest in tree cavities. The Norfolk Island morepork lay two to three eggs, but usually formed clutch of two eggs. The diet consisted of small vertebrates, especially birds and mammals as well as invertebrates.

Extinction and hybridization

The disappearance of the Norfolk Island Kuckuckskauzes began with the change of forest habitats by humans. But the competition for tree holes in imported honey bees ( Apis ) and Pennant Parrots ( Platycercus elegans) has greatly added to the population. In the 1960s, the mold was classified as " critically endangered " after biologists birds neither heard nor sighted. 1973, 1978 and 1985 calls were recorded and local residents wanted to at least still have perceived the reputation of a copy. A thorough search in October 1986 resulted in a surviving female, which was named in honor of the matriarch of the Miamiti Norfolk Island. After DNA analysis revealed that the Norfolk race and the New Zealand nominate are related genetically to the next, two males of the New Zealand breed were brought to Norfolk Island. A male disappeared without a trace. However, the second males mated with Miamiti, so that as of December 1989, the first N. undulata n / novaeseelandiae hybrids were born. 1996 died Miamiti. Due to the intersections of the hybrids among themselves the population consisted of 35 owls in 1999.