Species

Justification
This species was endemic to the island of Réunion, but is now Extinct and has not been recorded since 1671-1672. Persecution is likely to have driven its decline.

Taxonomic source(s)
Cowles, G. S. 1994. A new genus, three new species and two new records of extinct Holocene birds from R

Taxonomic note
Overlooked by Brooks (2000), this taxon was confirmed to be a valid species that became extinct after 1500 by Cowles (1987, 1994).

Distribution and population
Falco duboisi is known only from subfossil bones collected by Bertrand Kervazo in the Grottes des Premiers Français on Réunion (to France) in 1974 (Cowles 1994). The only historical record of small falcons is of the emerillons reported by Dubois in 1671-2 as distinct from pieds jaunes and papangue, both of which probably refer to Reunion Harrier Circus maillardi (Cowles 1987). The specimens are deposited in the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris (Cowles 1994).

Ecology
It is likely to have occurred in open habitat throughout the island.

Threats
Reasons for its extinction are unknown, but persecution and the depredations of introduced human commensals are implicated.

References
Cowles, G. S. 1987. The fossil record. In: Diamond, A.W. (ed.), Studies of Mascarene Island birds, pp. 90-100. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, U.K.

Cowles, G. S. 1994. A new genus, three new species and two new records of extinct Holocene birds from Réunion Island, Indian Ocean. GeoBios 27: 87-93.

Text account compilers
Brooks, T., Khwaja, N., Mahood, S.

IUCN Red List evaluators
Butchart, S., Symes, A.

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2013) Species factsheet: Falco duboisi. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 23/05/2013. Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2013) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 23/05/2013.

This information is based upon, and updates, the information published in BirdLife International (2000) Threatened birds of the world. Barcelona and Cambridge, UK: Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, BirdLife International (2004) Threatened birds of the world 2004 CD-ROM and BirdLife International (2008) Threatened birds of the world 2008 CD-ROM. These sources provide the information for species accounts for the birds on the IUCN Red List.

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