Zur verlorenen Taubenwelt der Insel Réunion – Neue Erkenntnisse über ausgerottete Vertreter der Ordnung Columbiformes auf der Inselgruppe der Maskarenen

Since the beginning of the influence of the fauna of the Mascarene Islands as a result of activities by Europeans, various members of Columbiformes have become extinct on Réunion Island. The erection of an obviously involved species of the former family Raphidae proved to be erroneous, indeed, but nevertheless it was assumed that there were up to four different endemic members of Columbidae that vanished from the said island. Inquiries by the help of both historical and modern literature showed that on Réunion Island overall “only” three indigenous pigeon species were wiped out: Nesoenas duboisi, Alectroenas sp., and one more form of the former genus that because of the lack of sufficient subfossil bone remains cannot be definitely identified.