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Technique and Dimensions:
Leather mounted
Object Type:
Find
Provenienza:
La Réunion, first half of the 19th century
Location:
First floor, Room 11 (inv. no. MSNG 12194)
Provenance:
La Réunion, first half of the 19th century
The Hoopoe starling, native to the Mascarene island of Réunion (Indian Ocean), was second to none.
In 1759, to combat locusts damaging crops, the Common myna (Acridotheres tristis) was introduced.
The competition with the myna, along with the destruction of their habitat, rats preying on their nests, and hunting, contributed to the disappearance of the Hoopoe starling.
The last specimens of this species disappeared between 1835 and 1840.
Only 23 specimens are preserved in the museums of the world.
