Rodrigues Pigeon Nesoenas rodericanus – Two panes of 25

2,500

The Rodrigues Pigeon, Nesoenas rodericanus, was a species of pigeon native to Rodrigues, an island in the Indian Ocean. It was a smaller relative of the Mauritius Turtle Dove and the endangered Pink Pigeon. The species was first reported in 1691-93 and was noted to be exceedingly common. However, by 1725-26, the pigeon had already stopped nesting on the mainland due to predation by introduced black rats.

 

Description

The Rodrigues Pigeon, Nesoenas rodericanus, was a species of pigeon native to Rodrigues, an island in the Indian Ocean. It was a smaller relative of the Mauritius Turtle Dove and the endangered Pink Pigeon. The species was first reported in 1691-93 and was noted to be exceedingly common. However, by 1725-26, the pigeon had already stopped nesting on the mainland due to predation by introduced black rats.

The decline of the Rodrigues Pigeon continued, and by the time the astronomer Alexandre-Gui Pingré arrived on Rodrigues in 1761 to study the Transit of Venus, the pigeon was already extinct. It is believed that black rats were the primary cause of the extinction of the Rodrigues Pigeon, as they appear to have completely exterminated the birds during the intervening years.

Technical Specification

Weight10 g
Acknowledgement

Dr. Julian Pender Hume

Art design

Dr. Julian Pender Hume

Date of Issue

09/10/2023

Denomination

Rs7

Format

Landscape

Graphic Works

The Mauritius Post Ltd

Issuing Postal Operator

The Mauritius Post Ltd

Number per sheet

Two panes of 25

Perforation

14 x 2 cm

Print process

Lithography

Printer

Cartor

Stamp size

45 x 30 mm

Theme

Fauna Extinct Species

Watermark

w18 – CASCO

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