| Bermuda Night Heron
| |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Pelecaniformes |
| Family: | Ardeidae |
| Genus: | Nyctanassa |
| Species: | Nyctanassa carcinocatactes |
The Bermuda Night Heron (Nyctanassa carcinocatactes) is an extinct species of night heron that was endemic to Bermuda. Its anatomy was similar to that of the Yellow-crowned Night Heron (Nyctanassa violacea), but it had a more massive beak, skull and legs. The species was described in 2006 from subfossil remains from the Pleistocene and Holocene found in lakes and caves.
Feeding[]
The heron's structure of the skull and beak suggested that it probably specialized in feeding on crabs.
Extinction[]
It became extinct after the settlement of the islands by English colonists (from 1609), apparently in the 17th century. The last mention of the species dates back to 1623.