Hoopoe starling

Hoopoe starling
Specimen in Musée Cantonal de Zoologie, Lausanne
Conservation status
Extinct (ca. 1850)  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Sturnidae
Genus:	†Fregilupus Lesson, 1831
Species:	†F. varius
Binomial name
†Fregilupus varius (Boddaert, 1783)
Location of Réunion (circled)
Synonyms
List Upupa varia Boddaert, 1783 Upupa capensis Gmelin, 1788 Upupa madagascariensis Shaw, 1811 Coracia cristata Vieillot, 1817 Pastor upupa Wagler, 1827 Fregilupus capensis Lesson, 1831 Coracia tinouch Hartlaub, 1861 Fregilupus borbonicus Vinson, 1868 Fregilupus varia Gray, 1870 Sturnus capensis Schlegel, 1872 Lophopsarus varius Sundeval, 1872 Coracias tivouch Murie, 1874

The hoopoe starling (Fregilupus varius), also known as the Réunion starling or Bourbon crested starling, is a species of starling that lived on the Mascarene island of Réunion and became extinct in the 1850s. Its closest relatives were the also-extinct Rodrigues starling and Mauritius starling from nearby islands, and the three apparently originated in south-east Asia. The bird was first mentioned during the 17th century and was long thought to be related to the hoopoe, from which its name is derived. Some affinities have been proposed, but it was confirmed as a starling in a DNA study.

The hoopoe starling was 30 cm (12 in) in length. Its plumage was primarily white and grey, with its back, wings and tail a darker brown and grey. It had a light, mobile crest, which curled forwards. The bird is thought to have been sexually dimorphic, with males larger and having more curved beaks. The juveniles were more brown than the adults. Little is known about hoopoe starling behaviour. Reportedly living in large flocks, it inhabited humid areas and marshes. The hoopoe starling was omnivorous, feeding on plant matter and insects. Its pelvis was robust, its feet and claws large, and its jaws strong, indicating that it foraged near the ground.

The birds were hunted by settlers on Réunion, who also kept them as pets. Nineteen specimens exist in museums around the world. The hoopoe starling was reported to be in decline by the early 19th century and was probably extinct before the 1860s. Several factors have been proposed, including competition and predation by introduced species, disease, deforestation, and persecution by humans, who hunted it for food and as an alleged crop pest.