Broad-billed parrot

Broad-billed parrot
Sketch of two broad-billed parrots
Sketch of two individuals in the Gelderland ship's journal, 1601

Extinct (c. 1680s?)  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Psittaciformes
Family: Psittaculidae
Genus: Lophopsittacus
Newton, 1875
Species:
L. mauritianus
Binomial name
Lophopsittacus mauritianus
(Owen, 1866)
Map showing former range of the broad-billed parrot
Location of Mauritius in blue
Synonyms
  • Psittacus mauritianus Owen, 1866

The broad-billed parrot or raven parrot (Lophopsittacus mauritianus) is a large extinct parrot in the family Psittaculidae. It was endemic to the Mascarene island of Mauritius. The species was first referred to as the "Indian raven" in Dutch ships' journals from 1598 onwards. Only a few brief contemporary descriptions and three depictions are known. It was first scientifically described from a subfossil mandible in 1866, but this was not linked to the old accounts until the rediscovery of a detailed 1601 sketch that matched both the subfossils and the accounts. It is unclear what other species it was most closely related to, but it has been classified as a member of the tribe Psittaculini, along with other Mascarene parrots. It had similarities with the Rodrigues parrot (Necropsittacus rodricanus), and may have been closely related.

The broad-billed parrot's head was large in proportion to its body, and there was a distinct crest of feathers on the front of the head. The bird had a very large beak, comparable in size to that of the hyacinth macaw, which would have enabled it to crack hard seeds. Its bones indicate that the species exhibited greater sexual dimorphism in overall size and head size than any living parrot. The exact colouration is unknown, but a contemporary description indicates that it had multiple colours, including a blue head, and perhaps a red body and beak. It is believed to have been a weak flier, but not flightless. The species became extinct sometime in the late 17th century due to deforestation, predation by introduced invasive species, and possibly hunting.

  1. ^ BirdLife International (2016). "Lophopsittacus mauritianus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22728847A94998733. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22728847A94998733.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.