Psittacula exsul
Newton's Parakeet (*Psittacula exsul*), also known as the Rodrigues Parrot, was a medium-sized parakeet endemic to Rodrigues Island in the Indian Ocean. Measuring approximately 40 cm (16 inches) in length, including its long tail, it sported a predominantly ashy-grey plumage, often with a bluish or greenish tinge, particularly on the head and back. A distinctive field mark was the strong sexual dimorphism in bill color: males possessed a striking reddish beak, while females had an entirely bl...
Historically, Newton's Parakeet inhabited the dense lowland and high-elevation forests of Rodrigues Island, preferring areas rich in fruiting and seeding trees. It was primarily an arboreal species, found from sea level up to the island's highest points.
Newton's Parakeet was primarily frugivorous and granivorous, feeding on a diverse array of seeds, fruits, buds, and leaves. Historical accounts noted their consumption of "palm cabbage," indicating a broad diet of local vegetation.
Historical accounts of Newton's Parakeet are scarce, but early observers like François Leguat noted their tendency to gather in flocks, suggesting a social structure common among parrots. These gregarious birds were described as easily tamed, implying a lack of fear towards humans, a trait often ...
Historically, Newton's Parakeet was strictly endemic to Rodrigues Island, the smallest of the Mascarene Islands in the Indian Ocean. Its distribution was limited to this single island, where it inhabited the extensive lowland and higher-elevation forests that covered Rodrigues prior to significan...
Extinct
- Only two complete specimens of Newton's Parakeet exist in the world, collected in 1874, decades after the species was believed to have gone extinct. - Its existence was first documented by French Huguenot explorer François Leguat in 1708, who described them as "very tame. - The species was offi...