Rodrigues Starling

SCI Name:  Necropsar rodericanus
Protonym:  Necropsar rodericanus Philos.Trans. 168 p.427
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Sturnidae / Necropsar
Taxonomy Code:  rodsta2
Type Locality:  
Author:  Slater
Publish Year:  1879
IUCN Status:  Extinct

DEFINITIONS

NECROPSAR
‡ (Sturnidae; Ϯ Rodrigues Starling N. rodericanus) Gr. νεκρος nekros  dead; ψαρ psar, ψαρος psaros  starling; "Necropsar rodericanus, Slater.  The discovery of an extinct Starling in Rodriguez, allied to the Fregilupus of Réunion, which appears to have held out a little longer in struggling for its existence within so narrow limits, is undoubtedly one of the most interesting results of Mr. Slater's labours. He recognised and determined the affinities of the remains found by him  ...  'Necropsar is altogether a smaller bird than Fregilupus, to which it is most closely allied. If it were a mammal, I should not make a separate genus of it; but as it is a bird, I think I cannot do less.'" (Slater in Günther & Newton 1879); "Necropsar H. H. Slater, 1879, Phil. Trans., 168, p. 427. Type, by monotypy, Necropsar rodericanus Slater, 1879 (a fossil or sub-fossil species)." (Amadon in Peters 1962, XV, 103). The Rodrigues Starling has not been recorded since the early 18th century.
Var. Necrospa.

rodericana / rodericanus
Rodrigues, Mascarenes (named after Diogo de Azavedo Rodrigues (or Roiz) (d. 1577) Portuguese explorer).