Greater Azores bullfinch

Short description: Extinct species of bird

Greater Azores bullfinch

Temporal range: Holocene

P. crassa (right) next to its extant relative P. murina (left)

Conservation status

Extinct

Scientific classification
Kingdom:  | Animalia
Phylum:  | Chordata
Class:  | Aves
Order:  | Passeriformes
Family:  | Fringillidae
Subfamily:  | Carduelinae
Genus:  | Pyrrhula
Species:  |

P. crassa

Binomial name
Pyrrhula crassa

Rando et al, 2017

The greater Azores bullfinch (Pyrrhula crassa) is an extinct species of large bullfinch in the family Fringillidae that was endemic to the Azores. It is the first known extinct passerine to be described from the islands. It is the largest known member of its genus based on its skull size, and had a very robust beak reminiscent of that of a parrot. However, the remains are otherwise reminiscent of the extant but highly endangered Azores bullfinch (Pyrrhula murina).

The species was described from subfossil remains found inside a lava tube in a volcano on Graciosa Island, although it may have inhabited other islands as well. The species was likely wiped out due to human settlement in the archipelago in the 15th century by the Portuguese, which led to habitat destruction and the introduction of invasive plant species, both of which depleted the laurel forest that P. crassa likely relied on.[1][2]

## References

1. ↑ Rando, J.C; Pieper, H.; Olson, Storrs L.; Pereira, F.; Alcover, J.A. (2017-06-27). "A new extinct species of large bullfinch (Aves: Fringillidae: Pyrrhula ) from Graciosa Island (Azores, North Atlantic Ocean)" (in en). Zootaxa 4282 (3): 567. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4282.3.9. ISSN 1175-5334. https://www.biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/article/view/zootaxa.4282.3.9. Retrieved 2018-10-22.
2. ↑ "A new bird which humans drove to extinction discovered in Azores". 2017-07-27. https://phys.org/news/2017-07-bird-humans-drove-extinction-azores.html.

Wikidata ☰ Q60775704 entry

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