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Niue night heron

Niue night heron
Temporal range: Late Holocene[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Pelecaniformes
Family: Ardeidae
Genus: Nycticorax
Species:
N. kalavikai
Binomial name
Nycticorax kalavikai
Steadman, Worthy, Anderson & Walter, 2000[1]

The Niue night heron (Nycticorax kalavikai) is an extinct night heron species that was endemic to the island of Niue in West Polynesia.

History

The night heron was described in 2000 from subfossil bones collected in January 1995 by paleozoologist Trevor Worthy at the Anakuli cave site in Hakupu village. The age range of about 5300 to 3600 year BP for fossil material collected from the site predates human settlement of the island.[1]

Etymology

The specific epithet comes from the Niuean words kalavi (land crab) and kai (food), alluding to speculation by the describers that land crabs constituted an important part of the species' diet.[1]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d Steadman, David W.; Worthy, Trevor H.; Anderson, Atholl & Walter, Richard (1 June 2000). "New species and records of birds from prehistoric sites on Niue, southwest Pacific". Wilson Bulletin. 112 (2): 165–186. doi:10.1676/0043-5643(2000)112[0165:NSAROB]2.0.CO;2. S2CID 86588636. Archived from the original on 24 May 2007.(subscription required)


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