Lord Howe Starling

Lord Howe star ( fusca Aplonis hulliana )

The Lord Howe star ( fusca Aplonis hulliana ) is an extinct subspecies of the Norfolk - Stars ( Aplonis fusca ). He was endemic to the Lord Howe Island in the Tasman Sea. The islanders called these Stare "red - eyes" ( Red Eye) because of their eye color or " cúdgimarúk " because of their distinctive call.

Features

The Lord Howe Star reached a length of 18 cm. The head, the neck, the coat and the throat were metallischgrün shiny. The back was slate gray with a dull greenish tinge. The rump and the bottom were gray. The tail was gray with brownish spring tips. The wings were bright brown. The iris was orange-red.

Way of life

The Lord Howe star was a forest dweller who lived in pairs. During the breeding season the nests were built in caves of dead trees or tree ferns. The nest consisted of four to five blue eggs with reddish spots.

Extinction

The Lord Howe Star disappeared in 1919 after rats after running aground the Makambo at Ned 's Beach overran the Lord Howe Island and wiped out 40 percent of the endemic bird species within two years.