Data Zone
Justification of Red List category
This Extinct species is known only from a 1774 painting of the type specimen, contemporary descriptions and a few field notes. It occurred on Raiatea (French Polynesia). An expedition to the island in 1850 failed to find the species, and it likely became extinct between 1774-1850 following the arrival of rats on the island.
Population justification
Any population appears to have been lost prior to 1850.
This Extinct species is known only from a 1774 painting of the type specimen, contemporary descriptions and a few field notes (Hume 2017). It occurred on Raiatea (French Polynesia). An expedition to the island in 1850 failed to find the species, and it likely became extinct between 1774-1850 following the arrival of rats on the island.
Unknown, though referred to as occurring in 'thickets' on the island.
It is assumed that the arrival of introduced species such as rats were the cause of its extinction.
Text account compilers
Vine, J.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Raiatea Starling Aplonis ulietensis. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/raiatea-starling-aplonis-ulietensis on 24/11/2024.
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 24/11/2024.