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Amsterdam Wigeon
Mareca marecula (Olson & Jouventin, 1996)
Anatidae — Ducks, Geese, Swans
Amsterdam Wigeon, Mareca marecula, was an extinct duck from Amsterdam Island in the Indian Ocean. It belonged to the Anatidae family within the Anseriformes order. The bird is known only from bones and was flightless, with strong legs and reduced breastbone and wings. It was endemic to Île Amsterdam in the French Southern Territories. Visiting sealers and the rats they brought in are thought to have caused its disappearance. Bones have been found from sea level to 500 m, and the species was named after the wigeon genus Mareca.
- Order
- Anseriformes
- Family
- Anatidae — Ducks, Geese, Swans
- Breeding range
- Indian Ocean: Amsterdam I.
