Saint Helena Hoopoe

Saint Helena Hoopoe (Upupa Antaeus )

The St Helena Hoopoe (Upupa Antaeus ) is an extinct bird from the family of the hoopoe. He was endemic to the island of St. Helena in the South Atlantic. Due to the subfossil bone findings, it is believed that he was substantially greater than its European and African relatives. In addition, he was probably only slightly airworthy. The first evidence of this kind, there was in 1963 by the British zoologist Philip Ashmole. He discovered in the Dry - Well - deposits in the east of St. Helena's a left humerus, which greatly differed from that of other Wiedehopfarten. The skeleton was found in 1975 by paleontologists Storrs Lovejoy Olson, consisted of an incomplete skull with a completely preserved lower jaw, the left ulna, the two raven bones and the left femur.

The species probably died soon after the discovery of the island in 1502 for unknown reasons. Contributed have probably habitat destruction, overhunting and entrained mammals such as black rats and house cats.

To his food probably also scored the Saint Helena giant earwig ( Labidura herculeana ), an insect that is probably now extinct.

Its scientific name is derived from Antaeus, son of Poseidon and Gaea. He was a giant of a Greek wrestler who derived his indomitable strength from the earth and was defeated by a trick of Heracles.