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Rodrigues Night Heron
Nycticorax megacephalus (Milne-Edwards, 1873)
Ardeidae — Herons, Bitterns
Rodrigues Night Heron, Nycticorax megacephalus, was an extinct heron of Rodrigues in the Indian Ocean, within the Mascarene Islands. It was the island’s night heron and is known only from that breeding range. The bird had a sturdy build, with a relatively large, straight bill and short, strong legs. Males were larger than females. It was adapted for life on the ground and could fly, though it seldom did. Accounts from the period also link it with lizards. By 1763 it could no longer be found, and human influence, including introduced cats, is thought to have ended it.
- Order
- Pelecaniformes
- Family
- Ardeidae — Herons, Bitterns
- Breeding range
- Indian Ocean: Rodrigues (e Mascarenes)
