Rodrigues Pigeon

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Representation of bones of the bird, 1866

The Rodrigues Fruit Dove ( Alectroenas rodericana ) is rustic yet extinct species of pigeons birds. She was an endemic species of the Mascarene island of Rodrigues. The species is known only from the description of François Leguat from 1708 and Julien Tafforet from 1726 and a few subfossil bones found. The description of Julien Tafforet is considered final note on this kind, the kind died probably in the middle of the 18th century from populated than rats all breeding areas of this kind.

Properties

The body size of the Rodrigues fruit-dove was about equivalent to the Tamburintäubchens. The plumage color was slate gray. François Leguat reported that the pigeons were very tame and trusting. Several dozen of the Rodrigues fruit-dove had occupied during the outdoor meals waiting to be fed. They showed a very great fondness for melon seeds. Already in 1693 the Rodrigues fruit-dove nests only on small islets off the coast of Rodrigues and only came to the foraging on the main island. The accidentally introduced by Europeans rats Rodrigues prevented already at this time a Nisterfolg on the main island.

System

The Rodrigues fruit-dove is usually placed in the genus of the Blue fruit pigeons. However, it is not excluded that the species belongs to a separate genus. Your sternum differs from that of the other species of this genus. A greater similarity has it on the chest legs of the Indo-Pacific and the Great Earth Dove fruit pigeons. This similarity may be the result of convergent evolution. However, it can also be an indication that the Rodrigues fruit-dove was the last living representative of the Raphidae, a very species-poor sub-family of pigeons birds, which also includes the Dodo and the Rodrigues Solitaire belonged.