Author: Olson, S.L.
Year: 1986
Title: An early account of some birds from mauke, Cook Islands, and the origin of the "Mysterious starling" Aplonis mavornata Buller
Journal: Notornis
Volume: 33
Issue: 4
Pages: 197-208

Abstract: Overlooked manuscript notes made by Andrew Bloxam during the voyage of HMS Blonde detail his observations of birds on the island of Mauke, southern Cook group, on 9 August 1825, nearly 150 years before birds were again collected on the island. These notes establish that the unique type of the "Mysterious Starling" Aplonis mavornata Buller, a valid species previously of unknown origin and now extinct, was one of the three specimens collected on Mauke by Bloxam. The other two, which have not yet been located, if they still exist, were the kingfisher Halcyon tuta mauke and the fruit dove Ptilinopus rarotongensis cf. goodwini, the latter otherwise unknown on Mauke and probably now extinct there.