A 1696 sighting by William de Vlaming of "four-footed animals" in the reeds of Amsterdam Island may have been of this duck, as there are no native land mammals on the island.[3] No naturalist visited Amsterdam Island until 1874, by which time it was infested with rats from visiting ships, and the duck was extinct.[4]
The first bones of this species to be discovered, in 1955–56, were thought to most closely resemble those of a garganey.[3] In 1987 bones of at least 33 individuals were recovered from rock cavities, revealing a very small duck with a short pointed bill like a wigeon's.[5] Strong legs and reduced breastbone and wings show it was flightless. The skull's reduced salt glands indicate it was drinking little seawater, and its bones were recovered from sea level up to 500 m, suggesting it was not living on the coast.[6] It was named Anas marecula, after the wigeon genusMareca.[5]
During his visit to Île Saint-Paul (St. Paul Island) on 2 February 1793, explorer John Barrow mentioned the presence of "a small brown duck, not much larger than a thrush" that was "the favourite food of the five sealers living on the island".[3] Because Amsterdam Island is 80 km away, these ducks would represent an independent case of dispersal and flightlessness, similar to the Amsterdam wigeon, but a different species.[5]
^ abcdBourne, W.R.P.; David, A.C.F. & Jouanin, C. (1983). "Probable Garganey on St. Paul and Amsterdam Islands, Indian Ocean". Wildfowl. 34: 127–129.
^Hume, Julian P.; Walters, Michael (2012). Extinct Birds. Poyser. pp. 48–49. ISBN9781408158623.
^ abcOlson, S.L.; Jouventin, P. (1996). "A new species of small flightless duck from Amsterdam Island, southern Indian Ocean (Anatidae: Anas)" (PDF). The Condor. 98 (1): 1–9. doi:10.2307/1369501. JSTOR 1369501.
^Martinez, J (1987). "Un nouveau cas probable d'endemisme insulaire: le canard de l'Île Amsterdam". Documents des Laboratoires de Géologie de la Faculté des Sciences de Lyon. 99: 211–219.
January 01, 1970
amsterdam, wigeon, mareca, marecula, formerly, anas, marecula, also, known, amsterdam, island, duck, amsterdam, duck, species, anatid, waterfowl, endemic, Île, amsterdam, amsterdam, island, french, southern, territories, flightless, species, only, known, from,. The Amsterdam wigeon Mareca marecula formerly Anas marecula also known as the Amsterdam Island duck or Amsterdam duck 2 was a species of anatid waterfowl endemic to Ile Amsterdam Amsterdam Island the French Southern Territories The flightless species is only known from bones and was presumably driven extinct by visiting sealers and the rats they introduced 3 Amsterdam wigeon Conservation status Extinct 1800 IUCN 3 1 1 Scientific classification Domain Eukaryota Kingdom Animalia Phylum Chordata Class Aves Order Anseriformes Family Anatidae Genus Mareca Species M marecula Binomial name Mareca marecula Olson amp Jouventin 1996 Location of Ile Amsterdam Synonyms Anas marecula A 1696 sighting by William de Vlaming of four footed animals in the reeds of Amsterdam Island may have been of this duck as there are no native land mammals on the island 3 No naturalist visited Amsterdam Island until 1874 by which time it was infested with rats from visiting ships and the duck was extinct 4 The first bones of this species to be discovered in 1955 56 were thought to most closely resemble those of a garganey 3 In 1987 bones of at least 33 individuals were recovered from rock cavities revealing a very small duck with a short pointed bill like a wigeon s 5 Strong legs and reduced breastbone and wings show it was flightless The skull s reduced salt glands indicate it was drinking little seawater and its bones were recovered from sea level up to 500 m suggesting it was not living on the coast 6 It was named Anas marecula after the wigeon genus Mareca 5 During his visit to Ile Saint Paul St Paul Island on 2 February 1793 explorer John Barrow mentioned the presence of a small brown duck not much larger than a thrush that was the favourite food of the five sealers living on the island 3 Because Amsterdam Island is 80 km away these ducks would represent an independent case of dispersal and flightlessness similar to the Amsterdam wigeon but a different species 5 References edit BirdLife International 2016 Anas marecula IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016 doi 10 2305 IUCN UK 2016 3 RLTS T22728666A94993378 en Retrieved 21 October 2022 IOC World Bird List Retrieved 15 August 2015 a b c d Bourne W R P David A C F amp Jouanin C 1983 Probable Garganey on St Paul and Amsterdam Islands Indian Ocean Wildfowl 34 127 129 Hume Julian P Walters Michael 2012 Extinct Birds Poyser pp 48 49 ISBN 9781408158623 a b c Olson S L Jouventin P 1996 A new species of small flightless duck from Amsterdam Island southern Indian Ocean Anatidae Anas PDF The Condor 98 1 1 9 doi 10 2307 1369501 JSTOR 1369501 Martinez J 1987 Un nouveau cas probable d endemisme insulaire le canard de l Ile Amsterdam Documents des Laboratoires de Geologie de la Faculte des Sciences de Lyon 99 211 219 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Amsterdam wigeon amp oldid 1187681949, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
