The Rodrigues starling (Necropsar rodericanus) is an extinct species of starling that was endemic to the Mascarene island of Rodrigues. Its closest relatives were the Mauritius starling and the hoopoe starling from nearby islands. The bird was reported by a French sailor Julien Tafforet, who was marooned on the island from 1725 to 1726. He observed it on the offshore islet of Île Gombrani. Subfossil remains (pictured) from the mainland were described in 1879, and suggested to be of the same species. Confusion about the bird and its taxonomic relations persisted through the 20th century. This starling was 25–30 centimetres (10–12 inches) long, and had a stout beak. It was described as having a white body, partially black wings and tail, and a yellow bill and legs. Little is known about its behaviour, although its diet included eggs and dead tortoises. Predation by rats introduced to the area was probably responsible for the bird's extinction some time in the 18th century, first on mainland Rodrigues, then on Île Gombrani.
Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodrigues_starling
_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:
1888:
Emma Elizabeth Smith was killed in the first of eleven unsolved murders of women that took place in or near the impoverished Whitechapel district in the East End of London. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitechapel_murders
1922:
Joseph Stalin became the first general secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Stalin
1948:
Division of Korea: A communist uprising began on Jeju Island, eventually leading to the deaths of thousands of individuals and atrocities committed by both sides, including the violent suppression of the rebellion by South Korean forces. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeju_uprising
2000:
In United States v. Microsoft Corp., Microsoft was found to have violated antitrust law by bundling the web browser Internet Explorer with its Windows operating system. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_v._Microsoft_Corp.
_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:
loggerhead: 1. (obsolete) A stupid person; a blockhead, a dolt. 2. A metal tool consisting of a long rod with a bulbous end that is made hot in a fire, then plunged into some material (such as pitch or a liquid) to melt or heat it. 3. (nautical) A post on a whaling boat used to secure the harpoon rope. 4. (botany, Midlands, dialectal) Often in plural: a thistle-like flowering plant of the genus Centaurea, particularly the common knapweed (Centaurea nigra). 5. (zoology) Used as the name of various animals with large heads. 6. The loggerhead duck or Falkland steamer duck (Tachyeres brachypterus; formerly Tachyeres cinereus), a species of steamer duck endemic to the Falkland Islands. 7. The loggerhead kingbird (Tyrannus caudifasciatus), a bird endemic to the Caribbean and West Indies. 8. The rufous-tailed flycatcher (Myiarchus validus), a bird endemic to Jamaica. 9. The loggerhead shrike (Lanius ludovicianus), a bird endemic to North America. 10. The loggerhead musk turtle (Sternotherus minor), a large-headed turtle endemic to the United States. 11. The loggerhead sea turtle or loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta), an oceanic turtle found throughout the world. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/loggerhead
___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:
The greatest danger to our future is apathy. --Jane Goodall https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Jane_Goodall