Seychelles parakeet

 Seychelles parakeet

The Seychelles parakeet, also known as the Seychelles Island parrot (Psittacula wardi), was a parrot species that once thrived exclusively in the Seychelles, located in the Indian Ocean. Discovered by the British ornithologist Edward Newton in 1867, this parrot was scientifically named Palaeornis wardi. The specific epithet was chosen to honor Swinburne Ward, a British civil commissioner who provided the specimens used for the species description. The Seychelles parakeet inhabited the islands of Mahé, Silhouette, and possibly Praslin. Today, only ten skin specimens of this bird remain, as no complete skeletons have been found. Although it was initially classified under the genus Palaeornis, genetic research has led some scientists to propose its reclassification within the revived Palaeornis genus, along with its closely related Asian counterpart, the Alexandrine parakeet (P. eupatria).

Illustration of a male (front) and female,

Measuring approximately 41 cm (16 in) in length, the Seychelles parakeet had a distinctive appearance. The male displayed a predominantly green plumage with blue patches on certain areas of its head, accompanied by a black stripe on its cheek. Its underside exhibited a yellowish hue, and its wings featured a purple-red patch. The tail displayed a vibrant combination of blue, green, and yellow, while the bill showcased shades of red and yellow. On the other hand, the female lacked the cheek stripe, and the juvenile birds resembled the adult females in appearance. Only one known depiction of this species exists, which is an 1883 painting by the British artist Marianne North. Despite its scarcity, little information is available regarding the Seychelles parakeet's behavior and habits. However, it is believed that their behavior was similar to that of the Alexandrine parakeet, as they likely congregated in groups within forests and undertook flights between communal roosting areas and feeding sites. While the Seychelles parakeet initially inhabited natural forests, it adapted to cultivated regions as deforestation progressed. Its diet primarily consisted of fruits. Although the Seychelles parakeet was abundant in 1811, human persecution due to perceived crop damage caused its population to decline significantly by 1867. The last confirmed individual was shot in 1893, and by 1906, no surviving individuals could be found.

Taxonomy

During his visit to the Seychelles in 1867, the British ornithologist Edward Newton made significant contributions to the field of avian research. He meticulously described and named several newly discovered species, one of which was the Seychelles parakeet, scientifically referred to as Palaeornis wardi. Newton chose the common name "cateau vert" for this species and dedicated its specific epithet to Swinburne Ward, the British civil commissioner who served in the Seychelles from 1862 to 1868. Ward played a crucial role in obtaining three bird skins from the island of Mahé, the largest island in the Seychelles, which formed the basis for the species' description. These particular specimens, consisting of two females and a male, are now cataloged as UMZC18/Psi/67/g/1-3 at the Cambridge University Museum of Zoology.

During his visit to Mahé in 1866, Newton did not personally encounter any Seychelles parakeets; however, he observed them on the nearby island of Silhouette. Newton also mentioned, based on hearsay evidence, that the parakeets were present on Praslin Island. In 1876, Edward Newton and his brother Alfred Newton, also an ornithologist, collaborated with the Dutch artist John Gerrard Keulemans to create an illustration portraying both male and female Seychelles parakeets. This artwork was based on specimens that were subsequently obtained.

Two male Alexandrine parakeets. This species is the closest living relative of the Seychelles parakeet

Currently, there are ten preserved skin specimens of the Seychelles parakeet, although no complete skeletons have been found. These specimens are housed at various institutions, including the Cambridge University, the Natural History Museum at Tring, the National Museum of Natural History in France, the American Museum of Natural History, and the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University.

Evolution

In 1937, the American ornithologist James L. Peters introduced the name Psittacula wardi for the Seychelles parakeet in his bird checklist. Peters replaced the previous genus name Palaeornis with Psittacula, a classification that also encompassed other parakeet species from Asia and Africa. Later, in 1967, the American ornithologist James Greenway noted the close resemblance of the Seychelles parakeet to the parrots of the Mascarene Islands. Greenway classified it as Psittacula eupatria wardi, considering it a subspecies of the Alexandrine parakeet (Psittacula eupatria). Similarly, in 1969, the Canadian ornithologist Rosemary Gaymer and her colleagues used the species name Psittacula wardi and concluded that the Seychelles parakeet was most similar to the Alexandrine parakeet, suggesting an Asian origin rather than a connection to Madagascar or the Mascarenes.

Illustration of a male, by Keulemans, 1907

Divergent opinions regarding the classification of the Seychelles parakeet emerged over time. In 1973, the Australian ornithologist Joseph M. Forshaw recognized it as a separate species, while in 2000, the British writer Errol Fuller questioned this classification. In 2007, the British ornithologist Julian Hume examined the Seychelles parakeet in the context of Mascarene parrots and their colonization. Hume considered it a distinct species due to its unique physical characteristics but acknowledged the lack of fossil remains and DNA studies to determine its precise relationship with other Indian Ocean Psittacula species. He proposed a probable ancestor related to the Alexandrine parakeet and suggested that the Seychelles and the Mascarenes represented endpoints for parrot colonization in the Indian Ocean.

DNA studies conducted in subsequent years shed further light on the Seychelles parakeet's evolutionary history. In 2011, British biologist Samit Kundu and his colleagues included the Seychelles parakeet in their DNA analysis, placing it as the earliest diverging lineage among the Alexandrine parakeet subspecies. This finding suggested that the Indian Ocean islands played a crucial role in the evolutionary radiation of these parakeets and proposed the possibility of colonization from the islands to Asia and Africa. In 2015, British geneticist Hazel Jackson and her team found that the Seychelles parakeet had diverged approximately 3.83 million years ago and was closely related to the Alexandrine parakeet group. They also emphasized the significance of the Indian Ocean islands in the radiation of this parakeet group, suggesting that the Seychelles parakeet could serve as a potential ecological replacement in the Seychelles due to its relationship with the Alexandrine parakeet.

In 2017, German biologist Lars Podsiadlowski and colleagues conducted a study placing the Seychelles parakeet as an early diverging member within a group that included the extinct Mascarene parrot and subspecies of the Alexandrine parakeet. They also proposed merging the parrots of the genus Tanygnathus into the genus Psittacula, based on their phylogenetic analysis. The study reaffirmed the role of the Indian Ocean islands in the evolutionary history of these parrots. Cladograms illustrating the phylogenetic position of the Seychelles parakeet according to Kundu et al. (2011) and Podsiadlowski et al. (2017) are provided for reference.

Only known depiction from life, showing a captive juvenile (left) and male, by Marianne North, 1883