A new subfossil bulbul (Aves: Passerines: Pycnonotidae) from Rodrigues Island, Mascarenes, south-western Indian Ocean

Abstract

The Hypsipetes bulbuls (Pycnonotidae) occur on Madagascar and oceanic islands throughout the Indian Ocean, as well as continental Asia. Endemic species are found on the Mascarene Islands of Mauritius and Réunion, but the genus was purportedly never reported from Rodrigues, the smallest and most isolated of the Mascarene group, which was somewhat anomalous considering present avian biogeography. Based on recently discovered subfossil remains, this paper describes a new Hypsipetes bulbul from Rodrigues Island, which presumably became extinct historically, thus filling in the biogeographical gap. This discovery further emphasises the need for palaeontological surveys in situations in which unexpected bird species distribution patterns occur, before robust biogeographical conclusions can be ascertained.

Keywords: biogeography, extinction, Hypsipetes cowlesi, Rodrigues Bulbul