Data Zone
Justification of Red List category
This species is known from Mauritius, and eventually became extinct after prolonged declines from introduced predators. It became extinct sometime after the last account in 1674.
Population justification
None remain.
Trend justification
The exact timing of this species' extinction is uncertain, occurring sometime after 1674 (Hume 2017). The species was first recorded soon after the discovery of Mauritius in 1598 (Hume 2017). The species was a poor flier, and so it is suggested that it eventually became extinct due to the prolonged impacts of introduced monkeys and rats (Hume 2017).
Lophopsittacus mauritianus is known from numerous bones and travellers' reports and sketches from Mauritius (Cowles 1987).
There is very little known, although it is likely to have been a forest species. Reportedly a weak flier with strong sexual dimorphism (Hume 2017).
The species was reportedly a weak flier (Hume 2017), which would have made it particularly susceptible to introduced predators and was likely the primary cause of its extinction (Hume 2017).
Text account compilers
Khwaja, N., Martin, R., Mahood, S., Richardson, L., Brooks, T.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Broad-billed Parrot Lophopsittacus mauritianus. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/broad-billed-parrot-lophopsittacus-mauritianus on 23/12/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 23/12/2024.