EX
Reunion Night Heron Nycticorax duboisi



Taxonomy

Taxonomic source(s)
Brooks, T. 2000. Extinct species. In: BirdLife International (ed.), Threatened Birds of the World, pp. 701-708. Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, Barcelona and Cambridge, U.K.
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A. and Fishpool, L.D.C. 2014. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 1: Non-passerines. Lynx Edicions BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.

IUCN Red List criteria met and history
Red List criteria met
Critically Endangered Endangered Vulnerable
D D D1

Red List history
Year Category Criteria
2024 Extinct
2016 Extinct
2012 Extinct
2008 Extinct
2004 Extinct
2000 Extinct
1994 Extinct
1988 Extinct
Species attributes

Migratory status Land-mass type Forest dependency Average mass
not a migrant unknown -
Range

Estimate Data quality
Severely fragmented? no -
Population
Estimate Data quality Derivation Year of estimate
Population size 0 mature individuals good estimated -
Population trend - - -
Generation length 8.24 years - - -

Population justification: No extant population remains.

Trend justification: There has only been one record of the species in life, from 1672-73 (Dubois 1674). Nothing is known about the cause of its extinction, but it Dubois' (1674) account suggest it was hunted for consumption, and it was likely impacted by introduced predators, and went extinction sometime in the 1700s (Hume 2017).


Country/territory distribution
Country/Territory Presence Origin Resident Breeding visitor Non-breeding visitor Passage migrant
Réunion (to France) extinct native yes

Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBA)
Country/Territory IBA Name

Habitats & altitude
Habitat (level 1) Habitat (level 2) Importance Occurrence
Wetlands (inland) Permanent Freshwater Lakes (over 8ha) major resident
Wetlands (inland) Permanent Freshwater Marshes/Pools (under 8ha) major resident
Altitude   Occasional altitudinal limits  

Threats & impact
Threat (level 1) Threat (level 2) Impact and Stresses
Biological resource use Hunting & trapping terrestrial animals - Intentional use (species is the target) Timing Scope Severity Impact
Past, Unlikely to Return Unknown Unknown Past Impact
Stresses
Species mortality
Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases - Unspecified species Timing Scope Severity Impact
Past, Unlikely to Return Unknown Unknown Past Impact
Stresses
Species disturbance, Competition, Reduced reproductive success, Species mortality

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2025) Species factsheet: Reunion Night Heron Nycticorax duboisi. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/reunion-night-heron-nycticorax-duboisi on 31/01/2025.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2025) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 31/01/2025.