Tag: Oceana

Mussau Triller rediscovered after 44 years
The Mussau triller, long thought to be lost since 1979, was rediscovered in June 2024 on Mussau Island in Papua New Guinea. (© Photo by Joshua Bergmark/Ornis Birding Expeditions)

Mussau Triller: Lost Bird Species Rediscovered After 44 Years

The Mussau triller (Lalage conjuncta), last documented in 1979, was rediscovered in June of this year by Australian bird photographer Joshua Bergmark during a tour with a group of birdwatchers. This songbird species, part of the cuckooshrike family, is endemic to Mussau Island, located in the Bismarck Archipelago north of

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Tongatapu Rail by Georg Forster?
A depiction of the extinct Tongatapu rail by Georg Forster? Created between 1772 and 1775. (© George Forster, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

Tongatapu Rail

The only specimen is now lost Many bird species from the past were described based on a single specimen, which is now lost. One such example is the Tongatapu rail. Historical reports and descriptions of this bird species from the rail family (Rallidae) remain, based on observations and collections made

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tongan ground skink (Tachygyia microlepis)
The Tongan ground skink is known from only two specimens that were collected on Tongatapu in the early 19th century. The species reached a snout-to-vent length of nearly 18 centimeters, plus the tail. (© Journal, German & Ineich, Ivan & Böhme, Wolfgang. (2024). Was it premature to declare the giant Tongan Ground Skink Tachygyia microlepis extinct?. Salamandra. 60. 82-93.)

Tongan Ground Skink

From the South Pacific to the museum – The last Tongan ground skinks The Tongan ground skink, a giant lizard, is known only from two specimens that are now housed in the Natural History Museum of Paris. The French doctors and naturalists Jean-René-Constant Quoy and Joseph Paul Gaimard collected the

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Similar to Amsterdam wigeon: Auckland duck (Anas aucklandica)
According to the ornithologists Olson and Jouventin, the extinct Amsterdam wigeon is similar to the Auckland duck (Anas aucklandica; see picture), which still exists today and is also flightless. The picture by John Gerrard Keulemans appeared in the book Buller's Birds of New Zealand (1988). (© John Gerrard Keulemans, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

Amsterdam wigeon

Amsterdam duck was barely larger than a thrush Both Amsterdam Island and Saint Paul are more than 3,000 kilometers away from continents. Yet, or perhaps because of this, the islands were often visited by early sailors and their accompanying animals, leading to the extinction of all endemic birds there before

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